Slipped Away
by cutie.m383
Summary: It's been two years since an agent tragically left the MCRT of NCIS. Their wounds are opened again when they match fingerprints found at a crime scene to their dead agent's fingerprints. As they dive deeper into the mystery, dark secrets are uncovered. Join them in their intense journey. (IN PROGRESS)
1. Dossier

**AN: Hey guys! I'm working on my other fic, don't you worry! :) **

**I came up with this idea a long time ago, but I promised to myself I first have to finsih my other fanfics. Like that would ever happen.**

**Anyways, I hope you like this one, I worked very hard on it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**Rating: PG 13**

**Fandom: NCIS, characters from Criminal Minds will appear, but not a crossover.**

**Pairings: Basically, almost all of the ships in NCIS. McGee/Abby, Gibbs/Jenny, Kate/Tony, Tony/Ziva and Tony/Wendy. You'll see which one will win. ;)**

**Category: Thriller/Drama/Romance**

**Time: Takes place in season 5, BEFORE Jenny's death. Plus, she doesn't die. Why would anyone kill her off?**

**Enjoy!**

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_*Slipped Away*_

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Chapter 1

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**_24th of April, 2007_**

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_**07:14 AM, Columbia Heights.**_

_No one heard their screams._

"Please, don't do this to us!" Angie Hale, a woman in her middle ages begged through her own loud sobs. Tears were hysterically falling down her face. Her breathing was fast and uneven.

Angie was tightly tied to a hard wooden chair. Next to her was her beloved husband, Callahan Hale, upset just as much as she was. Her husband was notably a former marine. Also tied to a chair, he let a little sob escape his mouth. He looked at his captor, with his eyes pleading for mercy.

"We'll do anything! You can take all the money! We won't call the police!" He silently implored.

A little smirk grew onto the captor's face.

"I don't need your money" He spoke, with his voice croaky.

"You know we didn`t kill her!" Callahan desperately said, trying his best to remain calm. The captor chuckled.

"Liars. You are only delaying something that cannot be avoided" He bitterly brushed off his words. Callahan exhaled, rather furiously.

"I'm telling you the truth!" He raised his tone. Callahan suddenly saw the revolver rising to meet his forehead. Angie trembled in shock.

"Don't hurt him, please!" She begged weakly, tears streaming down her silky cheeks.

"Your time will come too, Mrs. Hale" He warned, not taking his eyes of his current target.

He could see the fear in Callahan's eyes.

"See you in hell, Callahan" The captor coldly said. Callahan's eyes went shut. He was prepared for the shot. The gun went off.

A gun blast was heard.

Callahan was dead, with a nine millimeter hole in his forehead. Blood shed down his now pale face.

"NO!" Angie screamed from the bottom of her lungs. She could only see the horror in front of her. The captor approached her, slowly. He walked up behind her back. Creeps went down her spine.

"Please…" She sobbed, now with no more control of her emotions. He pointed his gun to her head.

He pulled the trigger.

_Shot._

Satisfied with his job, the captor walked out of the house, with a dark hoodie over his head.

_**08:23 AM**_

Shelby Greene, the woman who lives across the street, walked out of her house to visit her neighbors. The Hales. Unaware of what has happened earlier that morning, she knocked on the door.

There was no response. Shelby rang the bell. Again, no answer. She knocked again, this time louder.

"Hello? Angie, sweetheart? It's me, Shelby!" She yelled, hoping this time her friendly neighbor would come over to open the door.

But there was no answer again.

She checked if the door is locked. On her surprise, it wasn't.

"That's strange" She muttered under hear breath.

"Angie?" Shelby called for the woman once again. She entered the house. It was very quiet.

"Angie?" She yelled through the house. She walked into their bedroom, where her heart nearly stopped from the shock.

She covered her mouth.

"Angie? Callahan?" She concernedly asked. The gory sight invaded her brain.

"Help! Somebody call 911!" She yelled as loud as she could, praying somebody would hear her.

_**09:04 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was already sitting at his desk, waiting for the entertainment to arrive. He was sitting there since the early hours.

He had his personal reasons.

_Ding, ding!_

The elevator spread wide open. Two younger agents walked out while having a small chit-chat.

"…Really? That's nice" Special Agent Timothy McGee said to the other agent. She smiled graciously.

"Thanks, McGee. I'm glad you appreciate that" The female Special Agent Ziva David responded. Tony spotted them. He quickly got up from his chair and approached them.

"What's nice, Probie?" Tony suspiciously asked, clinging onto McGee's shoulder. McGee glanced at Tony, then back to Ziva.

"Oh, Ziva and I were just talking about Michael" McGee explained shortly. He sat at his desk and turned his computer on. Tony glanced at Ziva.

"Michael who?" Tony questioned, keeping his suspicious stare on Ziva now. Ziva sighed.

"Michael. Rivkin. My boyfriend, Tony. Remember?" She said. Tony nodded his head quickly.

"Oh, right. That guy. What about him?" He walked back to his desk and sat down at his chair. McGee and Ziva looked at each other.

"Why are you so curious?" McGee asked his partner. Tony shrugged.

"What? Can't a friend just know something more about his other friends?" Tony said innocently. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Well, if you really wanna know, Michael is taking me to the opera next week" Ziva confessed, rather proudly. McGee had a look of approval and happiness on his face; while on the other hand, Tony was clearly showing that he's not impressed.

"Wow, really?" Tony sarcastically remarked, with a fake smile on his face. The smile wiped away. "Does his boyfriend know about you?"

Ziva ignored the comment. She turned on her computer.

"What boyfriend, Tony?" A well known gruff voice questioned, in a rather teasing manner. Tony looked at his left, where he spotted Special Agent Gibbs walking out of the elevator, with a Starbucks cup of coffee in his right hand.

Tony cleared his throat nervously.

"Nothing, boss. Just discussing about Ziva's boyfriend" Tony innocently spoke. Ziva and McGee shared a devilish grin. Gibbs sat at his desk. He took his phone out of his pocket.

"I really don't see why that is any of your business, DiNozzo" Gibbs replied. Tony sighed and went back to his computer.

Gibbs' cell phone rang. He picked it up.

"Gibbs" He answered before taking a tiny sip of his strong, black coffee. His face straightened as he carefully took in the info the woman on the phone was giving him.

"Okay. Remain calm, we'll be there soon" Gibbs assured her confidently before hanging up. The team concernedly looked upon at him. He glanced at all of them.

"Grab your gear. We've got a dead former marine and his dead wife" Gibbs spoke harshly. The tone of his voice surprised them. They did as they were told and followed their boss to the elevator.

"You drive, Tony" Gibbs handed the truck keys to Tony.

The elevator closed.

_**09:22 AM FBI's private jet, on their way to Washington D.C.**_

"So, let me get this straight. There is no evidence? No photos?" Derek Morgan questioned impatiently.

Derek was a tall, black, muscular man in his thirties. He wore dark jeans, a long-sleeved V-neck blouse and stubble on his face.

They had to finish up the investigation as quick as possible, and this is their first time they don't have evidence from the crime scene prepared.

"Looks like it. The director said that another team will process the crime scene. They're called something starting with N…" Jennifer Jareau replied, leaning back in her seat.

"They're called NCIS. Naval Criminal Investigative Service. They investigate the deaths in the Navy. Their main headquarters are currently located in the Navy Yard district, in Washington D.C." Spencer Reid interrupted, spilling all the needed facts. JJ looked at him.

"How did you know that?" She questioned, utterly amazed by his knowledge.

"Oh, I just did a little research" He shrugged it off casually.

"Huh. When Reid does 'a little research', it probably means he is familiar with the history of every single member working there" A pleasant female voice was heard. Alex Blake walked out of the toilet and sat across Reid.

"It's not true that I know it all" He said. JJ laughed.

"Really? Tell us who died in the last few years out of all the agents" Derek scoffed. Like a switch has been turned on, Reid started talking.

"As far as I know, in 2004, Special Agent Chris Pacci died. He was shot, and before he could even bleed to death, his gut was cut through. He was replaced by Special Agent Timothy McGee, who's still working there. Then, Special Agent Caitlin Todd was in NCIS for two years. She was shot in the head by a terrorist called Ari Haswari. And after her, Special Agent Paula Cassidy was blown up when trying to defeat a terrorist that killed her team" Reid explained, not even bothering to take a breath.

Alex shook her head.

"So, it's more than just a research" JJ added sarcastically, looking at Alex.

"Where did you get the info?" Derek asked. Reid shrugged.

"I asked Penelope to do it for me" He confessed. Derek and JJ exchanged a look.

"Why did you need that much information?" Alex questioned, intrigued in Reid's 'research'.

"I just wanted to know who we are working with" He simply replied and went back to his book. JJ shook her head and went back to texting her husband. Behind them, Aaron Hotchner sat and talked with David Rossi.

_**09:31 AM, Columbia Heights, Washington D.C. **_

Gibbs and the team just arrived at the crime scene. As soon as McGee walked in and saw the gory scene, he felt nauseous. Ziva felt bad for the couple, while Tony did not show his emotional state in front of them.

"Tony, how can you take this stuff?" McGee complained, while taking out his gear.

"You learn how to cope with it, Probie" Tony simply replied. McGee thought. There was something more to Tony's words.

"McGee, DiNozzo, photos! Ziva, search the house for any other evidence!" He ordered to his team. McGee and Tony started taking photos of the bodies, while Ziva went up the stairs.

Gibbs approached his agents.

"Callahan Hale, ex marine; Angie Hale, his wife and an accountant" Tony said.

"What do you think, boss?" Tony asked, intently looking at the bodies in front of him. He hadn't seen that much gore since his years in Baltimore.

"I don't think, DiNozzo" Gibbs bitterly replied. The sight was truly gruesome.

"Would that mean you don't exist?" Tony added, sounding rather corny. Gibbs easily smacked Tony at the back of his head.

"Work, DiNozzo" Gibbs literally barked. He parted from Tony. McGee approached Tony when Gibbs left.

"Geez. That was harsh" He teasingly spoke. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Just his usual grump, McProbie" Tony said through gritted teeth. McGee nodded, slightly afraid of Tony, and continued snapping photos of the crime scene.

Ducky arrived.

"Hello, Jethro. What have you got for me today?" The chirpy old man said, in his usual funny British accent. Gibbs motioned with his head to the two bodies.

"See it yourself, Duck" He spoke in a low voice. Ducky stopped in shock.

"Dear Lord" He muttered under his breath, in shock.

"Execution style murder?" Gibbs suggested. Ducky nodded.

"That sure is what this is" Ducky replied. He approached the bodies.

"Time of death?" Gibbs questioned as he took out his pen and his notepad. Ducky took out the liver probe and put it into the first victim. Gibbs waited for the response. Ducky took out the probe and read the result.

"I'd say about two to three hours ago. This body is fresh" Ducky stated. Gibbs nodded.

"And the other victim?" Gibbs questioned, referring to Angie Hale. Ducky glanced at her body.

"I assume she died at the similar time, but I'll check with the probe" Ducky acknowledged his colleague. Gibbs approached the second victim's body.

"I think you know the cause of death yourself too, Jethro" Ducky glided in the probe into the second victim.

"Yeah, Duck. I sure do" Gibbs heavily sighed. Cases like this always haunted him for the next two weeks. No matter how hard you try, you cannot recover from the horrible sight.

"Oh, you poor people. You were so young" Ducky shook his head as he whispered to the corpses.

"Found anything, McGee?" Gibbs asked as he appeared in front of Tony and McGee.

"Uh, not yet, boss" McGee shamefully confessed, lowering his head. Gibbs moved his piercing blue eyes on Tony.

"You, DiNozzo?" He questioned, expecting evidence to be handed to him. Tony scratched his hair.

"Well, I found a bullet right here" Tony bended over behind Callahan, where he picked up a bullet with tweezers.

"I think he either dropped it, or he shot multiple times" Tony theorized. Gibbs patted his shoulder.

"Bag it and tag it" Gibbs ordered and walked up the stairs. Tony looked at Gibbs.

"That's it? All I get is a pat on the shoulder? Come on, Gibbs, I was pretty good!" Tony complained. Gibbs didn't even bother to listen to Tony's moans. Tony growled grumpily and went back to collecting the evidence.

"What you got, Ziva?" Gibbs questioned as he climbed the stairs. Ziva noticed him and got up.

"I searched the rooms a bit. Nothing suspicious. There are no signs of burglary. Nothing seems to be missing." Ziva explained. Gibbs nodded.

"Did you check the computer?" Gibbs asked.

"I only bagged the keyboard and the mouse for the fingerprints. McGee's gonna take the computer to NCIS. I'll leave the complete computer investigation to Abby and McGee" Ziva acknowledged. Gibbs gave her a quick smile of approval.

"We're going back as soon as you and Tony question the eyewitnesses" Gibbs said and went down the stairs again. Ziva nodded and followed him.

"Tony, go question Shelby Greene. She lives across the street. Take Ziva with you" Gibbs ordered. Tony nodded.

"Got it, boss" Tony replied quickly. Ziva appeared by his side. They both went out of the house.

…

Tony knocked on the woman's door. After a few seconds, the door opened, and the lady, Shelby Greene was there, with her eyes puffy. It was easy to figure out that she was crying.

"I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo" Tony introduced himself as he raised his badge, and then his wallet.

"And I'm Special Agent Ziva David" Ziva did the same as Tony.

"And we're from NCIS. It stands for-" Tony started softly, but was interrupted.

"I know what it stands for" She sharply cut him off. Tony and Ziva exchanged concerned looks and nodded.

"We've only got a few questions for you. Can you let us in?" Ziva asked politely. Shelby looked at both of them. She rubbed her nose. It was red. Clearly, she has been crying for a while.

"Sure. Come in" Shelby welcomed them. They entered her house. Shelby was a thirty year old –something with strawberry blonde hair and dark green eyes. She was very slim and fit.

Ziva looked around the house, while Tony questioned the woman.

"When did you find the bodies?" Tony asked sincerely. She trembled at the flashbacks of their dead bodies.

"S-somewhere around e-eight in the morning" Shelby stuttered out the response. Tony nodded.

"And when you found them, what did you do?" Tony continued questioning her. She moved a piece of her hair behind her right ear nervously.

"I called for help" She replied. Ziva turned around.

"So, you never heard anything before that?" She questioned, with suspicion in her voice. Shelby shook her head.

"No, not at all. I was asleep" She explained. Ziva nodded and sat by Tony.

"Why did you go to their house then?" Tony asked. Shelby put her head in her hands.

"Because Angie and I used to hang out every morning and drink coffee" She stated. Tony glanced at Ziva.

"Were you and Angie Hale close?" Ziva asked. Shelby nodded.

"We were good friends" Shelby replied. Tony got up. He sighed.

"Well, if you remember anything that can help, please give us a call" Tony gave her the NCIS visit card. She nodded. Tony and Ziva went out of her house.

"So if it's not Shelby, then who is it?" Ziva asked. Tony put his glasses on.

"Relax, Agent David. There is plenty of time for everything" Tony casually teased. Ziva made an annoyed grimace and sat in the truck.

…

_**12:11 PM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

The team sat in their chairs. Gibbs drank out his whole coffee. He threw the cup into the trashcan.

"What have we got yet?" Gibbs asked. They all got up and started talking.

"We know that Callahan is an ex marine, and his wife worked as an accountant for the _'McQuadde Brennan LLP'_" Tony started. He turned on the plasma screen, where files about the Hales showed up.

"…And we also know that the killer didn't have any intentions in stealing their valuable belongings. The killing act was perhaps his only desire" Ziva added. Gibbs nodded.

"They're his target?" McGee asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"Nah. They're not conspicuous enough. And they simply aren't the kind of people who would hurt someone. They're not what he's seeking for" Gibbs said, deep in his thoughts.

"Maybe he just needs to kill random people for his own pleasure?" McGee proposed. He didn't seem to interest Gibbs enough.

"Maybe. Tony, Ziva, dig more. McGee, try to speed up Abby's search for fingerprints on the keyboard and the mouse and analyze Hale's computer" Gibbs ordered to the team. McGee nodded and went to the elevator. Tony and Ziva went back to 'digging'. Gibbs shook his head.

"Something doesn't fit" He muttered under his breath, staring at Callahan Hale's picture. A loud _ding! _interrupted his thoughts. He spun around, only to spot Tobias Fornell going out of the elevator. He was in his standard outfit. Long dark grey wool coat, under which was a black working suit. His hair was, as usual, barely visible and grey. Though, he wasn't alone. He was followed by a group of people. Men, and two women.

"Tobias, what the hell?" Gibbs asked as he spotted the crowd behind him. Fornell chuckled.

"Is that what your mother taught you to say when someone older is talking to you?" Fornell mockingly responded, crossing his arms. Gibbs smirked.

"You ain't older than me, Tobias. That's for sure" Gibbs replied in the same manner. Fornell faked a hurt expression. He scratched his forehead.

"Listen, Gibbs. I'm gonna be the one to bite the bullet. You're sharing jurisdiction over this case with my team. A.K.A., you're cooperating with FBI" Fornell explained shortly. Gibbs confusedly looked at the crowd behind him.

"Jethro, these are Special Agents Hotchner, Rossi, Reid, Jareau, Morgan and Blake" Fornell introduced his team. Gibbs stared at them.

"I'm not sharing jurisdiction with you, Fornell" Gibbs simply said. Fornell looked at him in confusion.

"You must" Fornell said.

"Who says so?" Gibbs asked mockingly.

"Your director does. And your SecNav" Fornell replied matter-of-factly. Gibbs looked up, where he saw Jenny watching him. She smiled.

Gibbs sighed bitterly. He walked over to Fornell.

"Fine" He whispered, rather angrily. Sharing authorities was never his kind of doing things. He went into the elevator.

"If anyone needs me, I'm down at the lab" Gibbs yelled to them all. They all nodded. The elevator finally closed. Fornell walked up the stairs to meet Jenny.

Meanwhile, the agents were getting to know each other. Spencer leaned in to see what Tony's doing.

"What are you doing?" Tony asked rather concernedly after a few seconds of having Reid watch him do his job.

"Oh, I was just observing" Reid said, like it was the most casual thing he just did. Tony looked at him in confusion.

"Observing what?" Tony asked. Spencer smiled.

"The way you guys work" Reid said. Ziva chuckled when JJ and Derek face-palmed their selves. Tony stared at him until he buried his head in his hands.

"Oh, no" Tony muttered. Reid looked at him with concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked sincerely. Tony lifted his head up from his hands.

"You're one of McGee's kind" Tony nearly whined. JJ and Alex laughed quietly.

_**12:37, PM Forensic laboratory, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Gibbs went into Abby's lab. McGee and Abby were working on analyzing Hale's computer.

"What you got for me, Abbs?" Gibbs questioned as he leaned in to see what they were doing.

"McGee and I were searching his event logs" Abby explained as she continued digging through the logs. Gibbs confusedly looked at her. She noticed his face.

"Oh, sorry. We were searching if anyone else has been using the computer" Abby said. Gibbs nodded.

"And the fingerprints on the mouse and the keyboard?" Gibbs questioned. Abby nodded.

"Working on that. At first I narrowed the search onto the naval database only, but if necessary, I will expand the search" Abby clarified.

"When should it match?" Gibbs asked. Abby shrugged.

"It could be anyone, boss" McGee said instead of Abby.

"…Which means it could match any second" Abby added. Gibbs half-smiled.

"I like the sound of that" He said, hoping they would get a quick match. There was something about this case that was bothering his gut. He stepped in front of the plasma screen, patiently waiting.

McGee turned around to leave his cell phone. He tripped over Bert and dropped the phone. It smashed against the floor. Abby turned around, only to see McGee struggling to get his phone back in pieces together.

"Here, let me help you with that" Abby said. She approached him and put the SIM card in its place. McGee put the front cover in its place.

"There you go. It's a good thing you didn't break the whole phone" Abby remarked before she looked back at her screen. Gibbs also went back to looking at the plasma screen.

_**Positive match**_ was written in front of the fingerprints on her screen.

"Wow. In only three hours you found a match" McGee excitedly commented. Abby nodded.

"These are the fingerprints from the keyboard and the mouse. Let's see who was using the computer besides the Hales" Abby spoke. She opened the record waiting on the screen. Gibbs turned around to Abby, just as she opened the file.

The dossier popped up. The smile on Abby's face soon wiped off her face and her once rosy cheeks now turned pale. Gibbs wasn't looking at the screen at the moment. He was still looking at Abby intently.

"Abby, what's wrong?" He asked, seeing the expression on her face. Abby shook her head.

"It's impossible" She simply whispered, shocked. McGee was just as shocked as she was. Gibbs finally turned around to look at the screen. He saw why they were so terrified. The record belonged to Caitlin Todd.

_Kate._

"Someone's playing us" Gibbs weakly said, with his eyes fixated on the screen.

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**AN: That's it for this chapter! Hope you like it! I only wrote the second, I'll upload it as soon as possible. :) It my have been a bit boring, though...**

_**Cheers!**_


	2. Code: red

**AN: Uploaded as quick as possible! Enjoy! THis one's a bit more interesting and has more clues to the plot. :)**

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Chapter 2

_The dossier belonged to Caitlin Todd._

_Kate._

_**12:49 PM, Forensic laboratory, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

"Bastard" Gibbs furiously whispered as he paced the floor. Abby and McGee were simply looking at him. Their faces seemed empty.

_Tears are filling up their glasses, no expression, no expression._

After a while of silent muttering and cursing, Gibbs stopped and turned to look at McGee.

"McGee, go get Fornell. Tell him to wait for me at the_ special place_" Gibbs ordered to McGee, with his voice being utterly harsh. He turned back to the screen in fury. Kate's dossier was still on it.

"Okay" McGee quietly replied and walked into the elevator. The door closed, leaving Gibbs and Abby alone in the lab.

"How?" Abby whispered, still shocked. Gibbs shook his head. He couldn't answer her question. Any other question her could, but not this one.

"She's dead. If she's dead, how come her fingerprints are on the keyboard?" Abby asked confusedly. Gibbs simply shrugged.

"I don't know" He quietly responded. Abby crossed her arms, deep in her thoughts.

"I mean, what if she's not dead? What if we're not framed and this is _not_ a prank?" Abby questioned, talking slightly faster than usual. Gibbs was asking the same questions himself.

"If she's not dead, then we may be living a lie the whole time. Maybe Pacci and Paula also aren't dead. Maybe she reincarnated, I don't know" She was talking even faster now. Gibbs shook his head in disbelief.

"It's just a prank, Abby. It'll be over in no time" Gibbs assured her, even though he didn't believe his words. Abby put her palm over her forehead. She sighed.

"What if Kate's somewhere out there, still alive, and nobody's aware of that?" Abby proposed as she was approaching Gibbs. He squinted in her way.

"Abbs-"He started but was interrupted by the sound of the elevator. Both Abby and Gibbs spun around to see McGee accompanied by Fornell.

"He's all yours, boss" McGee said, in a voice more quiet than usual. Gibbs gave a small nod as a sign of approval. He stepped into the elevator, and McGee walked out, passing his boss by. The elevator closed. McGee and Abby were completely alone in the lab now.

Silence overruled. They both stood still and stared at their feet. McGee took a deep breath.

"Abby" He slowly said. She didn't move her head. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

He waited.

He searched for a sign of her awareness.

After a few seconds, Abby slowly lifted her head up. Like a helpless puppy that is ashamed because it did something wrong, Abby slowly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah" She replied, with her voice mildly hoarse.

"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" McGee questioned genuinely. They were both very confused. Abby shook her head.

"I don't know" She looked him straight in the eyes. The hurt look on her face made McGee feel slightly guilty. Seeing Abby like this brings him a tough time.

_**01:07 PM Elevator, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Gibbs turned off the power switch. Fornell sighed. Gibbs turned around to face him.

"Why did you need me?" Fornell questioned casually, with both of his hands resting in his pockets. Gibbs scratched the bridge of his nose. He shrugged.

"I don't know" He replied silently, yet showing traces of sarcasm in his voice. "Maybe, it's because I just found out one of my dead agents left fingerprints at the crime scene!"

Surprised by the sudden rising of his voice, Fornell stepped back. His back hit the elevator wall, making him feel slightly claustrophobic. The FBI agent stared at his friend.

"What do I have to do with that?" Fornell asked, defending himself. Gibbs was losing his patience. He stepped closer to Fornell, resulting in his face being a few inches away from Fornell's.

"I'm thinking of you putting a fake dossier in the naval database, Tobias!" Gibbs sharply hissed. Fornell had a look of disbelief on his face.

"Oh, so you think I did it?" He also raised his voice, upset by the fact that Gibbs is accusing him and his team of fraud. Gibbs cocked his head.

"Only NCIS and FBI have access to that database, Tobias" Gibbs was persistent, which was just one of the many qualities he had. Even though, the persistence wasn't actually his good quality.

"Well, we've got better business to do than to play with your facts, Gibbs. Every single web location our agents access is monitored by us 24/7 and you know that" Fornell spoke in a low, serious voice, assuring Gibbs that he is telling the truth. Gibbs sighed. He put his hands over his face as he paced the elevator floor.

"The firewalls that are protecting the database are too strong for anyone else to break them" Fornell assured Gibbs. "Even the best hackers in the world cannot tear it down"

"I know that" Gibbs replied angrily. He crossed his arms and leaned against the elevator wall.

"So?" Fornell asked, waiting for Gibbs to come up with some sort of a plan. Gibbs shrugged.

"'So' what?" Gibbs answered with a question. He wasn't sure what to do either. Tough decisions were about to be made.

"What are you gonna do? You know the only way out is to-" Fornell started the sentence, but was abruptly interrupted by Gibbs.

"-To open up the case again. I know" Gibbs grumpily responded. He exhaled through his mouth. _Great._ First day on the case and he already feels exhausted and confused as hell. Fornell turned on the power switch. Lights went on again and the elevator started moving up.

"One question, Fornell" Gibbs said. Fornell nodded.

"I'm listening" Fornell replied. Gibbs squinted.

"How am I gonna make the director let me investigate the case over again?" Gibbs turned his head to Fornell, now facing him.

"With that, I cannot help you" Fornell brushed off his question satisfyingly. Gibbs responded with a playful smirk, forgetting about the situation he's in for a second.

The elevator opened, revealing the current state of the agents in the bullpen. Gibbs spotted Tony telling an obviously funny story. He was successful in making everyone laugh.

"…And then he said: _'Rule number 12: Never date a coworker'_, and then I was like: _'I'm gonna break that rule for sure'_" Tony said proudly. They all laughed.

Gibbs and Fornell exchanged an irritated look. Gibbs slowly walked up behind Tony. They all stopped smiling and laughing and started clearing their throats. Tony realized why, so he stopped smiling.

"I am not gonna turn around" He said quietly, expecting a smack. Gibbs nodded.

"Good choice" Instead of smacking Tony, he just continued walking to his desk in silence. They all looked at Gibbs with concern. Tony was surprised not to earn a smack. He was even slightly worried about Gibbs.

So was Ziva.

"What's with him?" JJ whispered to Ziva questionably. Ziva kept her focus on Gibbs. Something _was_ wrong. She shook her head.

"I don't know" She replied, suspicion obvious in her voice. She never has seen him act like this before.

"Hotchner, Rossi, JJ, Reid, Blake, Derek; we're going to the FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C." Fornell ordered to his team. They all nodded and followed him into the elevator.

"See you soon, Jethro" Fornell acknowledged Gibbs before the elevator closed. Gibbs sighed and got up. Tony also noticed something was wrong.

"Is everything okay, boss?" Tony called for him. Gibbs ignored his question and continued walking up the stairs to the director's office. Tony and Ziva exchanged a confused look.

"Boss?" Tony called, once again. Again, Gibbs ignored him. Tony sighed and sat back in his chair. Ziva looked at him.

"Something's wrong" Ziva spoke. Tony nodded.

"Not just wrong" Tony replied worriedly. "I haven't seen Gibbs like this since Kate's-"He couldn't finish the sentence.

"You know" Tony silently said. He tried to keep himself busy with some paperwork from the last case. Ziva nodded, showing that she understands.

Tony never was keen on discussing Kate's death. It changed him. He never understood what he really had until that something was gone. _That something_ was Kate.

"The past is the past, and the present is now" Ziva said out of blue, like she could magically see through his mind. He looked up from his computer. Tony nodded.

"True" He simply replied. He got back to his work.

She was speaking the truth, though. He was completely happy with Wendy. She made him happy, and he made her happy. That's all that mattered.

They both had no idea what has happened in the lab.

Gibbs didn't bother to knock on Jenny's door. He nonchalantly opened them, not caring if he interrupted something important.

Jenny was sitting inside her office, talking on the phone. Smartly dressed in a navy blue blouse, Jenny looked appealing to Gibbs even more than usual.

Her hair was reaching just above her shoulders, which was a hairstyle Gibbs always found very attractive on the director. She had her square glasses on at the moment.

By loudly clearing his throat, Gibbs made himself as noticeable as possible. Jenny sighed and pinched her nose bridge, bringing a little smirk onto Gibbs' face.

When reality struck him again, he wiped the smirk off his face and brought a serious look to his face.

"Uh…I'll call you later, Mr. Davenprot" Jenny nervously said into the phone. Gibbs patiently watched as she nodded a few more times and repeated the word 'yes'.

He watched as she aggressively dropped the phone on the desk.

"Talking to the SecNav?" Gibbs asked playfully. Jenny sighed, annoyed by his existence at the moment.

"What do you want, Jethro? I've got tons of work to do" Jenny hissed at Gibbs. Their relationship wasn't the best at the time. They kept it too professional, with a spoonful of angsty flirting.

"I can see that" He replied. "I've got something important to tell you"

Jenny carefully looked at him. She squinted a bit.

"Spit it out" She utterly ordered. He crossed his upper lip with his tongue for a short piece of a second. Gibbs took a deep breath.

"I found out that one of my dead agents left fingerprints at the crime scene we processed this morning" Gibbs slowly confessed. Alarmed, Jenny got up and locked the door behind him. She stood in front of him, facing him.

"Which one?" She asked through a whisper. Gibbs looked her carefully in the eyes.

"Kate" He barely whispered. Jenny nodded slowly. She turned her back to him and walked back to her desk. She sat down.

Jenny looked at him.

"I see. Well, maybe you should go back to the crime scene to find any other evidence?" Jenny suggested, with her tone flat. Gibbs cocked his head.

"No" He shook his head. "I demand to open the investigation again"

Jenny looked at him, faking confusion.

"What investigation?" She asked, unfortunately, unconvincingly enough for Gibbs. He rolled his eyes.

Gibbs approached her desk and leaned on it.

"Don't play on me like that, Jen. You know damn well which investigation" He silently said, slightly intimidating her. She could feel his breath on her face.

Jenny sighed. There was no way out now.

"I give you the permission to open the investigation" Jenny unwillingly said. Gibbs smiled in acknowledgment.

"Thank you, director" He politely addressed her. She gave him a small nod.

"Any time" She replied, in a highly professional manner. Gibbs was just about to walk out of her office, when he remembered something. He turned around again and looked at Jenny.

"Jen" Gibbs called her name. She looked up from her desk.

"Yes?" She replied, with a certain discomfort in her voice. Gibbs sighed and pinched his nose bridge.

"I'm not happy to say this either, but you have to call the FBI to exhume Kate's body" Gibbs acknowledged. He didn't like the fact that Kate's body was going to be exhumed.

Jenny's face turned pale. Gibbs suspiciously looked at her.

"I am sorry, Jethro, but I'm afraid I mustn't allow that" Jenny brushed him off. She nervously sat back in her chair. Gibbs looked at her, being very confused.

"Jen, I'm not happy either, but FBI will certainly do it, even without your permission" Gibbs approached her table. He was facing Jenny now. She sighed.

"Only under one condition" She finally spoke. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"I'm listening" He crossed his arms in annoyance.

"You can have the body exhumed _only _if I completely hand over the investigation to FBI" Jenny replied. Gibbs widened his eyes.

"No. You'll call them now, and ask for the permission for the body to be exhumed. The investigation will be led by NCIS" Gibbs raised his voice in anger. He started suspecting even more of Jenny's current decisions.

"You take orders from me, Jethro, not the opposite!" Jenny angered as she got up. Their faces were only a few inches apart. Gibbs looked her straight in the eyes.

"Call them" He coldly ordered. Jenny seemed to shudder for a short moment. She silently sat back in her chair again. She nodded.

"I'll call them later" She whispered. Gibbs shook his head.

"Now" He said. She looked at him confusedly.

"Excuse me?" She replied, in a tone as if she was defending herself. He nodded.

"You heard me just fine, Jen. I need to see you call them" Gibbs said, rather bitterly. Jenny tried to hide the hurt she was feeling right now. She knew that this operation would risk many things in her life. For instance, she just lost Gibbs' trust in her.

Jenny nodded. She picked up the phone angrily. Gibbs observed her patiently as she phoned the number.

"Hello? This is Jennifer Sheppard. Yes, the director of NCIS. I am seeking for permission to exhume the body of NCIS Special Agent Caitlin Todd. Tomorrow. Yes. Yes. Thank you. I understand. Yes. Have a good day, sir" She finished the conversation. Gibbs watched as she angrily dropped the phone on the desk.

He slightly smirked, satisfied.

"You'll have the body exhumed first thing tomorrow morning" She coldly spoke. He nodded, slightly surprised by the tone of her voice.

"Thanks" He said in a low voice. She nodded in acknowledgment.

"Any time" She bitterly responded. He sighed and walked out of her office.

The door closed silently. Jenny put her head in her hands.

_This couldn't be happening…_

She was upset. If they exhume the body, they'll find the secret she kept on for so long…

She finally put herself together.

Jenny scribbled something on a piece of paper. She aggressively crumpled the piece of paper and threw it into the trashcan.

"Think of something" She whispered to herself. If the plan fails, she could lose her job. That goes for the other people involved.

Most important, others would get hurt.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her racing thoughts. She sighed.

"Come in!" She nervously yelled. The door opened. She spotted Nikki Jardine standing in front of her. Jenny quickly threw on a smile on her face.

"Um, you called for me about forty five minutes ago, but I saw Agent Gibbs walking in, so I didn't wanna interrupt anything" Nikki said. Jenny nodded.

"Yes. I need you to get me Agent David in here. ASAP" She replied. Nikki looked at her confusedly.

"That's it? Is everything alright, director?" She asked sincerely. Jenny faked a smile.

"Yeah. I just need Ziva here for a small talk. That's all" The director assured her. Nikki nodded and went out of Jenny's office. Jenny took her cell phone and dialed a number.

_Beep…Beep…Beep…_

"_Yes?"_

"It's Jenny" She spoke quietly. The person on the other side of the phone could feel her anxiety.

"_What's wrong?"_

"It's nothing" Jenny assured the other person. Obviously, they weren't convinced enough.

"_Is it about our plan?"_

Jenny hesitated. She sighed.

"Yes" She whispered. Jenny heard the sigh from the other person.

"_Do they suspect?"_

"Uh… they don't suspect that you're alive…yet. Only Gibbs and Abby and McGee found fingerprints on the crime scene" Jenny explained. The other person cursed.

"_Damn! I knew I should have worn gloves! What else happened?" _

The anger of the other person made Jenny uncomfortable.

"Gibbs wants the body exhumed. He forced me into calling FBI" Jenny said.

"_I knew he would be the persistent one"_

Jenny nodded. She heard footsteps coming to her office. She slightly panicked.

"Look, I can't talk to you right now. I'll call you tonight to inform you about the details"

"_Fine. Hear from you later"_

"Bye" Jenny rushed off and hung up. A knock was heard.

"Yes?" Jenny cleared her throat loudly. Ziva appeared. She closed the door behind her.

"You wanted to see me, director?" Ziva questioned in a polite manner. Jenny sighed.

"Lock the door. Code: red" Jenny ordered. Ziva's adrenaline jumped high. She nodded quickly and locked the door. She turned back around to Jenny.

"They know" Jenny whispered. Ziva nervously touched her forehead.

"Who exactly?" Ziva spoke in a low voice.

"Gibbs, McGee and Abby found her dossier" Jenny responded, almost shamefully. Ziva sighed.

"What do we do?" She asked, feeling helpless for the first time in her life. Jenny shook her head.

"Knowing Jethro, he'll be as quiet as possible. You should act normal. But, not too normal. Gibbs can smell lies over a mile away" Jenny explained. Ziva nodded.

"I must not mention anything to Tony, Gibbs, McGee, Abby or Ducky?" Ziva questioned. Jenny nodded.

"When with them, you know nothing about this" Jenny ordered. Ziva nodded in acknowledgment. Jenny sighed and took her glasses off. She rubbed her eyes with her fingertips.

"Is everything alright, director?" Ziva asked. Jenny put her glasses on the table. She looked Ziva straight in the eyes.

"I'm just not sure what are we gonna do with Jimmy" Jenny confessed quietly. Ziva shrugged.

"Well, he was just fine before. What makes you think he'll blow it up?" Ziva asked. Jenny shook her head.

"Tomorrow, they'll exhume the body. If they identify it as another person's body, he's done. And you know his insecurities. If they bring him into interrogation…" Jenny trailed off.

"…He'll easily crack. I know" Ziva finished the director's sentence. Jenny sighed.

"Then we gotta make sure they don't" Jenny concluded. Ziva nodded.

"How exactly?" Ziva questioned. Jenny shrugged.

"I don't know" She replied hopelessly. Ziva nodded and turned around to leave. She unlocked the door.

Ziva stopped and turned around to Jenny again.

"One more thing, director" Ziva said through a tiny whisper.

"Yes?" Jenny responded. Ziva closed the door.

"What about that FBI agent, Em-" Ziva started, but was interrupted by Jenny.

"Make sure neither Fornell or his team find out about her either" Jenny nearly hissed. Ziva nodded and walked out of Jenny's office.

Jenny opened her e-mail account to view any new messages.

"_**You've got mail" **_was written on the screen. She clicked to see further. The e-mail opened.

"_Dear Jenny,_

'_Alison' just informed about today's events. I also heard Tobias came over. You have to find a way to stop them from exhuming the body, or you can say bye bye to your job at NCIS. Your SecNav will fire you the second he finds out. I know this is a hard decision to make. It's also hard to me and Alison. Please, if they find out, that bastard will know they know. He'll try to kill them. If you do get caught, Palmer would be the one who would pay the most. _

_Help us help you, Jen._

_E.P and K.T."_

Jenny sighed. She quickly typed in her response.

"_I promise I'll do anything to put a stop on that bastard. He won't hurt you or us. I promise. If Jimmy gets caught, I will volunteer to go to jail instead of him. Jimmy, Ziva and I are your accomplices. You know damn well that faking your and 'Alison's' death is a crime. _

_Anyway, I'll do my best to keep us all safe. I promise this will soon be over. I'll catch that bastard, even by myself._

_Sincerely, J.S."_

She hit the _send _button.

'_**Your message has been sent'**_

Jenny closed her e-mail and shut down the computer.

_**3:06 PM, Bullpen, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

After visiting the director, Ziva paid a visit to the ladies room.

After she finished her business, Ziva came downstairs. Only Tony and Gibbs were in the bullpen. Gibbs seemed to be extremely busy, while Tony was just goofing around.

She sat by her desk.

"Why did the director call you, Ziva?" Tony was curious. Ziva shrugged.

"Just invited me for a small chit-chat" She casually replied and opened an unfinished report on her computer. Tony suspiciously looked at her. He got up from his chair and slowly approached her desk.

"You know, Jenny never invites me for a _small chit-chat_" He leaned on her desk with his arms, invading her personal space.

"Maybe that's because she appreciates me over you, Tony" She teasingly replied. He slightly frowned at the thought. He got back to his desk. Ziva had a tiny smile on her face, proud of how she successfully made him go away.

Tony sat back in his chair. Something weird was going on. He could feel it in the air.

Gibbs sighed and got up. He went to the elevator. Tony and Ziva watched as he silently walked into the elevator. They exchanged confused looks.

_**3:13 PM, Forensic laboratory, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Gibbs walked into Abby's lab. Abby seemed to work even more than usually.

"What you got, Abbs?" Gibbs asked. Abby quickly looked at him. She glanced back at her screen.

"There were other fingerprints on the keyboard" McGee said instead of Abby. She silently nodded. Gibbs looked at her.

"Did you match them yet?" Gibbs asked. McGee nodded.

"Yeah. They belong to Emily Prentiss, who's also dead. FBI agent, also died on a mission" Abby read the file that popped up on the screen. Gibbs' eyes widened.

"What's wrong, boss?" McGee questioned as he noticed the shock on his face.

"She was on Fornell's team" Gibbs whispered. McGee and Abby still heard him. They exchanged worried glances. Gibbs shook his head.

"That's it. Abby, with me. McGee, go get Ducky and Jimmy in the bullpen, ASAP" Gibbs ordered. McGee nodded and went into the elevator. Abby and Gibbs followed him. The door closed.

_**3:18 Autopsy, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

_Ding!_

Gibbs, Abby and McGee came out of the elevator. Ducky was performing an autopsy on Miss Hale's corpse. Jimmy was observing the autopsy.

"Duck, Palmer!" Gibbs called. They both raised their heads.

"Oh, Jethro! I haven0t finished the autopsy yet, therefore, I'm afraid I cannot tell you the details at the moment" Ducky acknowledged. Jimmy waved as a greeting.

"I don't give a damn about the autopsy, Duck. It can wait. Both of you, upstairs with me, now!" He ordered aggressively. The tone of his voice slightly frightened Ducky and Jimmy. Ducky nodded.

"Hold on until I take off my gloves" Ducky addressed Gibbs. He turned to Jimmy. "Same goes for you, Mr. Palmer"

Jimmy nodded and took his gloves off.

"Put the body into the body bag, Palmer" Ducky ordered to his assistant.

"Right away, doctor" Jimmy said. He put the boy in the body bag. He zipped the body bag and placed it into a body drawer.

They both followed Gibbs, McGee and Abby into the elevator.

"Is something wrong, Jethro?" Ducky questioned suspiciously. Gibbs shook his head.

"I don't know" Gibbs replied, with his voice hoarse. Ducky sighed and watched as the elevator door slowly closed.

_**3:32 PM, Bullpen, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

_Ding!_

The elevator opened. Ducky, Jimmy, Gibbs, Abby and McGee came out of the elevator. They walked into the bullpen.

"What now, Agent Gibbs?" Jimmy asked. Gibbs turned his head to him.

"Find a place to sit at while I go get the director and the SecNav" Gibbs replied in a rush. He climbed the stairs and came into Jenny's office, again, without knocking.

Fortunately, SecNav was in there, talking to her. Jenny quickly noticed him and stopped talking. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Just a second, please" She said to Mr. Davenport. He nodded. Jenny got up. She approached Gibbs.

"What do you want now?" She hissed angrily at him.

"I need both of you to come with me" Gibbs replied. Jenny exhaled furiously.

"I'm in a middle of a meeting, Jethro" She pointed out. He rolled his eyes.

"Don't care" He nonchalantly said and passed her by.

"Excuse me, Mr. Davenport; can you come down for a second?" Gibbs asked the SecNav. He nodded and followed Gibbs out of the office. Jenny walked behind them, with her arms crossed.

Tony, Ziva, McGee, Abby, Ducky and Jimmy watched Gibbs walk down the stairs, accompanied by Jenny and the SecNav.

"This must be something big" Tony whispered to himself. Gibbs, Jenny and Davenport finally came down the stairs. Gibbs quickly stepped on his desk, shocking Jenny and Davenport.

"Agent Gibbs, that is inappropriate behavior!" Davenport yelled. Gibbs looked at him.

"I have an announcement to make, Mr. Davenport" Gibbs impolitely addressed the SecNav. Jenny couldn't help but slightly smirk at Gibbs' behavior.

"Listen up everybody!" Gibbs yelled. He succeeded in getting everyone's attention.

"We are opening up an old investigation again!" He announced. "Two years ago, we lost an agent. Today, we found her fingerprints at a crimes scene, leading us to believe she isn't dead! From now on, this investigation won't be stopped until I make sure she's alive"

Everyone was at shock. Ducky managed to mumble a silent _'Dear Lord'_.

Tony was the most shocked one. Sure, he kept praying that one day he would see her again, but never had he thought that God was listening. It was irrational from hi to even think that she's alive.

But here he is, sitting there, with his boss yakking about how they're investigating her death again. Would that mean Ari's bullet never touched her at all? Did she fake her death? Is she still somewhere out there alive? Will he have a chance to refresh his feelings?

What actually happened that horrifying day, when his heart forever fell into pieces, never to be healed again?

* * *

**AN: Like it? Review! I would love to hear your ideas! :)**


	3. Insomnia

**AN: Sorry for the longer delay. Hope you like this chapter. Kate's death flashback rewritten!**

* * *

Chapter 3

_'You always smile, but in your eyes, your sorrow shows, yes, it shows...'_

_**03:09 AM, Gibbs' basement, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Gibbs was standing in his basement, dusting his old boat. He could almost inhale the scent of the wood he was dusting.

His moves were sharp and quick, giving the impression of anger.

He wasn't as angry as he was bothered.

Bothered by the fact that Kate's still alive, and he couldn't have her back right now.

Gibbs sighed. He put down his dusting tool and sat back in a nearby chair. He scratched the back of his head, watching his boat.

"How did it actually happen?" He whispered to himself questionably. A flashback of that day hit him.

_01:37 PM, Norfolk, Washington D.C._

_"What date is it today, Kate?" Gibbs asked. Kate looked down at her PDA._

_"May 24th" Kate replied. Kate was holding her Kevlar bullet-proof vest in her lap, underneath her PDA. She was in protection detail for Gibbs. She was assigned to protect him. _

_Gibbs finally parked. He turned around to his team sitting in the back seats. _

_"Okay. Everybody put on your vests. We're going out there" He ordered._

_"Got mine already on, boss" Tony replied. _

_"We're putting on ours" Kate acknowledged. Gibbs nodded, leaving Kate and McGee to put their vests on. He got out of the car, along with Tony. Both Kate and McGee put their vests on. Kate shrugged her jacket on. She opened the door. Both McGee and Kate came out. _

_"Load your guns" Gibbs ordered. Tony and Kate nodded. They loaded the ammunition into their magazines. So did Gibbs. He opened the trunk and pulled out a shotgun. He handed it to Kate._

_"In case you need this" He said. She nodded. She put her gun back and took the shotgun._

_"Is it loaded?" Kate asked. Gibbs nodded._

_"Here's what we're doing: McGee, you will try to hinder the projectile. Kate, Tony, you're with me. Kate, in case anything happens, you cover me up. Got it?" He explained. They all nodded. Gibbs sighed._

_"Let's roll" He said. Tony and Kate ran behind him, while McGee bent over behind their car and opened his computer. _

_Tony, Kate and Gibbs headed to the rooftop of the building. They all climbed the ladder to the rooftop, one by one. They got to the rooftop._

_An armed man jumped in front of them. Gibbs shot him in no time. _

_They continued running. Gibbs and Kate finally spotted the man who was programming the projectile's flight. Kate hid behind a wall, while Tony and Gibbs went into action. _

_Another man headed in their way, also armed. He was just about to pull the trigger on Gibbs, when Kate shot him several times with her shotgun. Tony joined her in her fire. The man finally hit the ground, with blood all over his torso. _

_"Good work" Gibbs said to Kate. She nodded. They continued running. _

_The man was furiously typing on the computer, trying to fly the projectile. He didn't even notice Gibbs behind him. _

_He suddenly felt the cold metal on his head. He quickly spun around and tried to pull the trigger. Kate, Gibbs and Tony immediately shot him down. Gibbs bent down to the man's computer. He felt his earphone with his fingers._

_"McGee, how you doing there?" Gibbs yelled. _

_'Two out of three, one more to go'_

_"Keep up the good work" He said._

_McGee heard a blast of bullets coming in his way. He hid behind the car and pulled out his gun. He shot at the source of the bullets. He hid again._

_'McGee?!'_

_"I got one terrorist inside. I don't know if I got him, but he stopped shooting" McGee informed his boss, slightly panting. _

_'Hold your position, we'll flush him'_

_"Okay" McGee replied. _

_Gibbs looked around the rooftop. It seemed empty. _

_"I'm out" Gibbs said._

_"Me too" Kate said, lowering her shotgun. _

_A person's hand peeked out of a cupola. He was holding a gun. Gibbs' back was turned to him, therefore, he didn't notice him. _

_Kate did. _

_"Shooter!" She yelled at the bottom of her lungs as she jumped as fast as she could in front of Gibbs. He quickly turned around, so did Tony. _

_They blasted gunfire at the man. He dropped dead in front of them. Tony lowered his gun and turned to Kate. _

_"Kate!" He yelled. Both Gibbs and Tony ran to her. Kate was laying on the ground. Tony quickly unzipped her jacket. She had her vest on, but the bullet struck her exactly on the crossing line of her vest. Somewhere below her collarbone, where her vest offered very little protection. It slowly started bleeding. Tony started panicking. He quickly pressed both of his hands above the wound. He kept firmly pressing it. Kate only mumbled from time to time. The sound of Gibbs calling an ambulance rang through Tony's ears._

_"GET AN AMBULANCE HERE AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" Tony yelled in despair. Gibbs looked at him, with a glint of compassion on his face. _

_"Yes, we need you ASAP. Get here as fast as you can" Gibbs barked into the phone. Tony held his firm pressure on Kate's wound._

_About fifteen minutes passed, but for Tony and Gibbs, it looked like hours were gone by. Kate's face was getting more pale within every minute. Her ability to talk properly was fading away as the time passed._

_"You hold on, Kate. You'll be alright. You'll be fine. You'll be alright" Tony repeated. The words rang through his head. _

_The sound of a helicopter made Tony and Gibbs look up at the sky. An ambulance helicopter landed on the rooftop. Two ambulance men ran out of the helicopter, holding a carrier. Tony and Gibbs helped them put Kate on the carrier. The two paramedics ran into the helicopter, getting on to work. Tony was about to enter the helicopter, when a man stopped him._

_"Sir, you cannot attend this flight" A woman said. She slammed the door shut. Tony watched in shock as the helicopter flew away. Gibbs patted his shoulder._

_"Let's go to the hospital" He whispered. "She'll be okay" _

_LATER_

_They waited in the waiting room, hoping for the good news. One of the doctors informed them that she was still in the operation._

_An hour later, a nurse came out of the room. Tony and Gibbs got up._

_"And?" Tony asked expectantly. The nurse looked from Gibbs to Tony with a grim look on her face. She sighed._

_"She didn't make it. We tried our best to stop the bleeding, but it was most likely that she died because she already lost too much blood. We succeeded in removing the bullet" _

_Tony sat down and put his head in his hands. Gibbs was mad. _

_"I understand how you are feeling right now. The body will be handed to NCIS, to perform the autopsy-" She began, but was abruptly interrupted by Gibbs._

_"No, you don't understand how I'm feeling right now! So, shut it!" He yelled at her angrily. He threw himself on the chair in anger, with his fists clenched. _

_**03:17 AM, Gibbs' house, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

There's gotta be something.

Nope.

It was all too simple. Kate got shot by Ari's thug, which Ari confirmed. She had pulse, but the doctors couldn't save her. DNA analysis matched it to Kate's blood. She was dead for sure.

Then again, how come she might be alive?

"Think about it" Gibbs was repeatedly whispering to himself. He was a trained agent. He's been in this job over fifteen years. He solved many cases, some of them even cold at first. The hardest cases, the most evil criminals, he could crack.

But not this one. This case was more _than just a case. _Not being personally involved would be impossible to do.

Another thing that bugged him was Jenny's behavior. As soon as he brought up the exhuming, she panicked and wouldn't let him do it.

There was more to this than he had thought there was.

A sound of door creaking interrupted his thoughts. The basement suddenly became colder than it was. Gibbs had his hand resting on his gun in his back pocket.

Slow footsteps were heard. Gibbs turned his head around. He watched as the person was revealed.

Grey trousers.

Slightly wrinkled hands.

Gibbs remembered who was paying him a visit. He relaxed and let go of his gun.

"Knew you would be here, Jethro" The voice greeted. "Why did you call me?"

Gibbs turned his look to his boat again.

"We found another Agent's fingerprints on that keyboard, Tobias" Gibbs finally spoke, returning his gaze to Fornell.

Fornell looked at him suspiciously. He shrugged and then continued walking around the basement.

"Which one?" Fornell questioned as he carefully examined one of Gibbs' cups. He actually had no interest in those. He saw them a dozen times. He just wanted to have something to look at other than Gibbs.

"You better sit down" Gibbs said. Fornell quickly turned around. He was looking at Gibbs with concern.

"Why?" He asked, suspicion apparent in his voice. Gibbs shook his head. He got up, pointing to the chair he was previously sitting on.

"Just do what you're told" He sighed, walking away from the chair. Fornell glanced at him. He shrugged and did what he was told. He sat at the chair.

"Okay, now spit it out, Jethro" Fornell said. Gibbs sighed hesitantly. He looked Fornell straight in the eyes.

"Special Agent Emily Prentiss" Gibbs finally spoke. "She was on your team"

Fornell felt as though someone just has stabbed him in the stomach. He remembered. All of it.

_06:09 PM George Washington University Hospital, NW, Washington D.C._

_The whole BAU team sat helplessly, praying. Praying so hard that Emily made it through the operation. That the doctors succeeded in bringing her to life. _

_JJ finally came into the waiting room. Her face was pale and dead serious. She looked at all of them. Hotchner, Penelope, Morgan, Reid, Rossi and Fornell. She swallowed. _

"_So?" Penelope asked. They all stared at JJ expectantly. JJ sighed. She couldn't even say it. Penelope had tears in her eyes. She mouthed a 'no' in JJ's way. She was hopeless. JJ bit her lip. _

"_She never made it off the table" JJ finally confessed. They all gasped in misery. Reid quickly got up and tried to pass by JJ. _

"_Spence" She whispered helplessly, pulling her arm in front of him, to stop him. He looked at the floor. _

"_I- I never had a chance to say goodbye" He said silently. JJ had tears in her eyes. She pulled him into her embrace. He silently cried on her shoulder. _

_Fornell and Hotchner kept their stares on the floor desperately. The rest of the team was sobbing. _

"_I will get my revenge" Fornell whispered. No one heard him. _

Fornell came back to reality again. He looked up at Gibbs.

"When will you tell them?" Gibbs asked. Fornell sighed deeply. He shook his head.

"First thing when they arrive at work today, I guess" Fornell replied. Gibbs nodded.

"We're exhuming Agent Todd's body at eight" Gibbs acknowledged. "Think you should do the same"

Fornell shrugged.

"Yeah" He replied with his voice hoarse. He looked up at Gibbs again.

"Thanks for letting me know" Fronell sighed as he got up. Gibbs nodded.

"Any time" Gibbs replied. He received a nod from Fornell.

"I'm gonna get some sleep" Fornell walked up the stairs, leaving Gibbs alone with his boat once again. Gibbs ran his hands through his hair.

Maybe he should get some sleep too.

_**03:34 AM, Tony's house, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Unlike Gibbs and Fornell, Tony didn't want to sleep at all.

He couldn't.

Wide awake, he was staring at the ceiling. He had his fiancée, Wendy, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest. Their legs were somewhat intertwined. She was deep in her sleep.

Tony sighed. He slowly turned his head to his right, where his nigh table was. His clock was on it, showing him the time. It bugged him that he suffered from insomnia like this.

Tony glanced at Wendy again. She looked so peaceful. He didn't wanna wake her up.

Tony carefully removed her arms. He_ was_ gonna get up.

A loud moan coming from her mouth interrupted him.

"Is everything okay?" She proceeded to murmur, with her eyes half shut. Tony nodded.

"Yeah. Just the ritual" Tony assured her. She straightened herself up in a sitting position.

"Taking a walk again?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yeah" Tony replied, stroking her left hand with his finger. Wendy rubbed her eyes with her right hand.

"Tony, have you got problems?" She sincerely asked him. He slid on his shirt before responding.

"What do you mean?" He questioned. Wendy sighed.

"Every night, you go out to take a walk. People usually take walks in the middle of the night when they can't sleep" Wendy explained. Tony nodded.

"Well, I can assure you, I am not one of those people" Tony said and continued changing his clothes. Wendy sighed.

"Tony, is there someone else?" Wendy questioned, with her arms crossed. Tony's eyes widened. He zipped his pants up and quickly sat beside Wendy.

"Wendy" He quietly started. "There will never ever be anyone else but you. You are the first girl to stay with me for more than a night or two"

Wendy nodded. She hugged him.

"I just don't like waking up alone five days, and sometimes six days a week" She clarified to him. Tony parted from her embrace, only to look her in the eyes.

He kissed her.

"I'm sorry" He replied sorrowfully as he pulled away. She smiled at him.

"Now, you should get some sleep" He quickly changed the subject. She chuckled.

"Okay. I will" Wendy lay back. Tony brushed his fingers off her hand slowly once again. Wendy closed her eyes and continued sleeping. Tony sighed and got up.

He went down the hallway and took his jacket, which was previously hanging on a coat-hanger. He shrugged it on and opened the door. He left the house.

Tony wasn't quite actually going for a walk. It was a condition for him to walk, but it wasn't his goal. NCIS wasn't so far away from his house. He figured he would be there in 20 minutes or less if he jogged a little.

_**04:09 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Tony finally arrived at the building. A guard was still on the lookout. He spotted Tony entering.

"Morning, Charlie" Tony greeted. The guard genuinely smiled and nodded in a response.

"Morning Agent DiNozzo" He replied as he took Tony's ID. He read the info and then gave the ID back to Tony.

"Thanks. See you later" Tony waved before he climbed the escalator.

The moving staircase led him into the building. He found his way to the elevator.

After a short ride on the elevator, Tony was finally in the bullpen.

It was dark. _So dark. _ So dark that he could barely even see his own hand. He made his way to what he was hoping was his desk. Like a blind person, he started touching everything around him, to make sure he wouldn't stumble upon anything.

Silence.

Finally, Tony felt the light switch on his desk, with his hands. He clicked on it.

In a second, the room became filled with color and light again. Tony sat down at his desk. He unzipped his jacket and spread it around his chair.

With a loud sigh, Tony took out his phone and put it aside. He had to make sure if someone's gonna call him.

Tony used to come here every night.

Or, to be more precise, early morning.

It was his sort of a habit he formed ever since Kate passed. Sleeping was only_ mission impossible _for him. Insomnia was just another side effect of the trauma Kate's death caused him.

He opened his desk drawer. There were billions of stuff in there. Papers, Paperclips, little memos, pencils and pens, rubber bands, highlighters, old pictures of himself…

But, only one thing caught his attention.

He picked the picture up and stared at it for a while. It was a picture of him and Kate, very nicely framed in a dark, wooden frame, with delicately white decorations on it.

In the picture, Tony had his one arm wrapped around Kate's back, smiling straight at the camera, while Kate had herself pulled up in his embrace, with her hand playing around with Tony's crimson striped tie. She had a warm smile on her face.

Like the one she would make when Tony said or did something sweet. In the picture, Tony's face looked as if he was trying to cover up a grin. Holding in a grin? Not so typical for him.

Tony stared at the picture for a while. They both looked obviously too happy in it.

He couldn't quite actually recall a situation when they took a picture together. Especially because Kate never liked Tony flirting with her or being _that_ close to her, like in the picture.

Tony just stared at silence. He couldn't remember that moment. At all.

The room felt now colder, and became much lonelier, regardless of the fact that there are about five more guards than Charlie in the building at the time.

Tony sighed.

He missed Kate _the most_.

He missed her more than she ever could know. More than _anyone_ else will ever know.

It felt bad to lie to Wendy like this. It felt awful to not tell anyone how he felt.

Why is that?

Well, then, if he would walk right up to Wendy and tell her:

'_Hey, you know what? I've been super depressed for two years now, and you don't really change the situation, because only Kate made me happier!'_

And then the result would be yelling, tears, doors banging loudly and more depression for him.

Tony felt his engagement ring with his fingers.

If he decided to keep it like this, perhaps he would leave NCIS, live in his basement, drink whiskey, and build and dust a boat for ten years.

Just like Gibbs.

Except, Gibbs actually kept his job.

So, there wasn't a reasonable outcome.

Tony put his head in his hands.

If he tried to tell Abby, he would only make it worse. Because, Abby would then get very emotional and then Gibbs would be angry at him for making her cry.

_Wow._

Wait.

Kate's _not_ dead. According to Gibbs.

Yeah, yesterday, he said the found her fingerprints at the crime scene, which means she's alive, right?

_Maybe that's true, but if you risk it by investigating, you could lose your job or your life, or it would turn out Kate's not really alive. _

Tony frowned at his thoughts. He wasn't encouraging to himself at all.

It was true, though. Maybe some terrorist is keeping her hostage, and then, if they try to save her, it'll result in them all having funerals.

He dropped the picture back into the desk drawer. He locked the drawer.

"Wonder if you're really alive, Katie" Tony whispered to himself in despair, with his mind trailing off.

_**4:23 AM, Brightmoor, Detroit, Michigan**_

Apart from Anthony DiNozzo and Leroy Jethro Gibbs, another person wasn't able to sleep.

A woman in her middle ages was lying in her bed with her blanket tangled between her legs. She had her brown hair spread across her pillow. Her eyes were open.

She wore a white tank top and shorts. For a moment, she felt like she was slightly cold.

But she ignored the feeling anyway.

Her breath was even. She was staring at the dark room ceiling. The room looked dim because of the faint lightness coming out of the window on her right.

The walls seemed tedious with their dead looking gray color. Silence was often present in the room.

With a little sigh of fatigue, she closed her eyes, hoping she would fall asleep already.

But that wasn't going to happen. She wasn't _that_ lucky today.

A screech filled the room. She watched as the door slightly opened.

She slowly reached for her gun that was previously located under her pillow. She squeezed it in her hand, still holding it under the pillow.

A hand reached out. Alarmed, she swung her gun out. The person finally showed their face. Her heartbeat rate decreased after she realized the person wasn't a threat. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth.

"I thought you were someone else" She murmured in slight annoyance by her sudden reaction. She shoved the gun back under her pillow.

The person who entered the room was a woman. She had mid-length black hair. She was carrying plastic bags filled with things.

"Right" the other woman responded.

The two of the women were former special agents Caitlin Todd and Emily Prentiss. The brunette was Caitlin, and the black haired woman was Emily.

"What you got there?" Kate questioned as she stretched her body. Emily dropped the bags on the bed.

"Food to keep us covered for a week and hygiene stuff" Emily replied, taking out the things she bought. Kate scratched her chin.

"Did you check out what they're doing?" Kate asked as she took one can of tuna into her hand to observe it.

"Yeah, I did" Emily replied, taking out her laptop from her purse. "Before I went to the supermarket, I went into a café that had wireless connection. I checked their current state" Emily sat down next to Kate, with her laptop opened.

"How's the situation with the director?" Kate questioned. Emily's facial expression distorted into a disappointed one. She sighed.

"Not good. At all. They are having 'your' body exhumed today. I don't know about myself" Emily worriedly said. Kate sighed in frustration.

"I'll check with the director today. Did she say anything else?" Kate got up and walked around the room. Emily nodded.

"Yeah. Here, read it yourself" Emily went into the chat box and pointed to the piece of their conversation. Kate leaned in to see the message.

'_You should stay low in the safe house. I'll take care of the rest. If going out for groceries, be careful. __**He **__might be there'_ The message said. Kate looked at Emily with concern noticeable on her face.

Kate exhaled.

"I'm just gonna go and make us some coffee" Kate replied, nearly grumpily. Emily closed her laptop and let herself fall on the bed. She looked at the ceiling, wishing this would be over soon.

Kate walked into the kitchen. She started making coffee for Emily and her.

She thought about her old friends. She missed them all so much. It felt horrible to lie like that and let them believe that she died.

Tony, she especially missed. Emily told her how he reacted. She was there that day. Ziva also forwarded the details to them.

Kate took a deep breath. She had to focus on staying alive today. She had to be strong today. No emotional wrecks were allowed.

She poured the coffee into two white mugs and put them on the table behind her.

"Coffee's ready!" She yelled.

Kate still needed to get used to the fact that she and Emily had to get up at nearly five AM only to drink coffee and talk about their situation. It's been two years, and it's still hard to get used to it for her.

Emily wandered into the room and sat down at the table. Kate took their coffee mugs and put them on the table. Kate sat across Emily. They both took their mugs and sipped a little. Kate put down her mug.

"So, what have you got for me today?" She questioned.

_**A while later, 07:21 AM, Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana**_

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and McGee stood above Kate's grave. They watched as the few other men dug Kate's coffin out.

The dark, wooden coffin was covered in dirt. The men put aside their shovels. One of them cleaned the coffin with his hands, dusting the dirt off it. Gibbs took one side of the coffin and lifted it. One of the men did so too. They carried it to Gibbs' car.

"Thank you for everything" Gibbs thanked the man. He nodded, slightly panting.

"No problem" The man acknowledged. He walked back to Kate's grave, along with his team. They started filling it with earth again.

Gibbs sighed. He closed the trunk and entered the car. He drove his team back to the private airport.

Beside Tony, Gibbs, Ziva and McGee, silence was the only thing present. All of them were nervous to see if it's Kate's body. It was the moment of truth.

Gibbs parked the car at the airport. He took the coffin. They quietly walked into their jet. Everybody avoided eye contact with each other.

_**7:39 AM, FBI Headquarters, NW, Washington D.C.**_

"I'm telling you Reid, you don't know what you're missing" JJ said to her colleague. Reid gave a little smile.

"No thanks, JJ. I really think my calories intake is just fine" Reid replied. JJ shook herself.

"Still. Those cakes are damn good" She shrugged. The elevator opened and they came out of it. They walked into their bullpen. A person was sitting there, hiding their face from them behind a newspaper. JJ and Reid exchanged a worried look. Penelope was above the person, standing still. Her facial expression gave both JJ and Reid a reason to have their adrenaline high.

The person dropped the newspaper. It was their boss, Special Agent Tobias Fornell. His face looked as if someone died.

"Morning, Agent Fornell" JJ and Reid voiced in unison warily. He nodded.

"Take a seat. Both of you" He ordered quietly. They exchanged looks. They both nodded and sat in their chairs.

"Is something wrong, Agent Fornell?" JJ decided to go in it first. She looked into Fornell's eyes.

Fornell sighed. He got up.

"Special Agent Emily Prentiss is believed to be not dead. Her fingerprints were found by NCIS, at a crime scene. No clues for now. Special Agent Gibbs is working on the case. He believes that she's participating in a somewhat 'illegal witness protection'" Fornell explained.

JJ and Reid both widened their pupils. It was a huge shock.

Especially for JJ.

_This couldn't be happening._

She finally got to herself.

"What do you mean 'illegal witness protection'?" She questioned, looking from Fornell to Penelope, whose face remained grim through the whole conversation.

Before Fornell could even open his mouth, Hotchner walked in.

"We believe that NCIS's director Jennifer Sheppard helped them both fake their deaths. Without the knowledge of FBI, CIA or NCIS's secretary" He spoke. Their heads turned to him.

"You knew about this?" JJ asked. He sighed.

"Fornell just informed me" Hotchner replied.

"I called Derek, Alex and Rossi. They're on their ways to here" Penelope said. JJ turned her head back to her.

"Weren't we supposed to share jurisdiction over the Hale case with them?" Reid questioned, after recovering from the shock.

"Yes. We'll be co-operating with them" Fornell said. "But, if a find anything suspicious about them, we are stopping the investigation and are investigating them. Was I clear?"

JJ and Reid nodded.

"Very clear, sir" They spoke in unison. Fornell nodded.

"Good" He grumpily murmured. He got up and walked out of the office.

Reid glanced at JJ.

* * *

**AN: Leave a review if you liked it! I am very thankful for the reviews I have got so far. Thank you for your support guys. And sorry for mistaking the location of the FBI Headquarters. Let's say they were on another case, so they were flying back. :) See you soon!**


	4. Carmel, Indiana

**AN: I sincerely apologize for the enormous delay. I was busy, and then there was writer's block, and I am so sorry. I worked hard on this chapter. I really hope you guys like it. **

* * *

Chapter 4

_**08:14 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Tony, Gibbs and McGee carried Kate's coffin into the Autopsy. Ducky and Jimmy were standing. Ducky looked at the coffin. He sighed.

"Is that Caitlin's coffin?" Ducky questioned silently. Gibbs nodded.

"We're opening it up" Gibbs replied. Ducky nodded. Jimmy rapidly raised his head.

"We're gonna open the coffin?" He asked, rather fearfully.

"Well, it's the only way to identify the body, Jimmy" Tony said, almost sarcastically. Jimmy shook his head quickly.

"Oh…okay" He stuttered out his response. He walked back to his desk to take his gloves. Tony observed Jimmy. He looked more nervous than usual.

"Let's open it up then" McGee said. Gibbs and Tony took the needed tools.

Finally, they unsealed the coffin. With the help of McGee and Ducky, Tony and Gibbs lifted up the heavy lid of the coffin.

Tony's and Gibbs' pupils dilated. They stared in silence.

The body still was in shape, giving the impression it was embalmed very well. The body belonged to a woman, who seemed to be in her early thirties before she died, just like Kate. She had similar hair to Kate, and she looked a little like Kate. Still, there were some differences.

"You know, she kinda looks like Kate" Tony finally murmured. Gibbs cocked his head.

"We don't know anything until Ducky compares dental records" Gibbs replied grumpily. Ducky nodded.

"Yes. I'll start right away" Ducky confirmed.

"And check if an autopsy has been done on her" Gibbs ordered. Tony, McGee and Gibbs walked out.

"I sure will, Jethro" Ducky whispered, staring at the corpse before him. He knew this wasn't Kate.

"Who are you, really?" Ducky said to the dead body, leaning on the autopsy table.

Gibbs walked out of the elevator, followed by McGee and Tony. Ziva was sitting at her desk, typing something into the computer.

"Pack your stuff" Gibbs said as he sat at his desk. Tony, McGee and Ziva looked at each other.

"Why?" Tony questioned.

"We're paying a visit to Agent Todd's parents in Indianapolis" Gibbs ordered and shrugged his jacket on. Tony's jaw dropped slightly open.

"Right away, Gibbs" Ziva said instead of Tony, seeing Tony was rather incapable of talking at the moment. They all followed Gibbs into the elevator, with their gear in their hands.

_**08:54 AM, FBI Headquarters, NW, Washington D.C.**_

"What's the synonym for the word 'incorrect'? It's got nine words in it" Derek asked, staring at a crossword. Reid sighed.

"It's the word erroneous" Reid replied. "And you should really put that crossword down. We're doing something important over here"

"Sorry" Derek murmured. He closed the crossword and rested his head in his hands.

Fornell and Hotchner walked in. Derek and Reid both quickly got up.

"Did you hear from NCIS?" Reid asked. Fornell sighed.

"No. When I called, they told me the MCRT is out of D.C. for an unspecified reason" Fornell said. Reid glanced at Derek.

"Well, did you try getting Agent Gibbs' phone?" Derek questioned.

"He's not available. Nor are special agents Anthony DiNozzo, Ziva David, or Special Agent Timothy McGee" Hotchner replied.

"I guess that gives us a reason to pay NCIS a visit" Derek said as he glanced at Reid. Hotchner and Fornell nodded.

"Go get the others" Fornell ordered. Reid and Derek nodded and went to get JJ, Rossi and Alex.

_**08:59 AM, about 20 miles away from the center of Carmel, Indiana**_

Gibbs drove the rest of his team in a rented car to Kate's parents.

"Wait, boss, I though Kate's parents live in Indianapolis?" Tony questioned, seeing the road was unfamiliar to him. Gibbs sighed.

"Lived, DiNozzo. They moved to a bit quieter place after they heard their daughter was killed" Gibbs replied. Tony nodded and leaned back in his seat.

Tony's phone rang.

"Uh… It's Ducky" Tony said to Gibbs as he read the ID on his phone.

"Answer it" Gibbs retorted. Tony picked up.

"Hey, Ducky?" Tony questionably said into the phone.

_**09:06 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

_Autopsy…_

"Yes, it is me, Anthony" Ducky said with a loud sigh.

'_What's the matter?' _Tony's voice echoed through the speaker.

Ducky glanced at the body on his autopsy table.

"Well, I compared the dental records, and I can assure you, the body you dug out certainly does not belong to out Caitlin" Ducky admitted heavily, looking up at the dental x-ray on the screen.

_**09:08 AM, 17 miles away from the center of Carmel, Indiana**_

"WHAT?" Tony yelled into the phone. Gibbs glanced at him. So did McGee and Ziva.

"Tony, is everything okay?" Gibbs asked, trying to hold the steering wheel normally without looking at the road.

'_The body belongs to Alex Reynaud. She was reported missing on May 5__th__, but her body was never found.'_

Tony sighed.

"Okay, Duck. Is that it?" He questioned, still shocked by the news.

'_Yes. I wish you luck at convincing Caitlin's parents that she is still alive.'_

"Thanks. We're gonna need it" Tony quietly said. He hung up. McGee and Ziva were intently staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"Ducky matched the dental records to a woman called Alex Reynaud. The body doesn't belong to Kate" He looked from Gibbs to McGee and Ziva.

"So, that increases the possibility that Kate isn't dead, right?" McGee questioned, rather cheerfully. Gibbs took a rash turn.

"And gives us another person to investigate" Gibbs replied grumpily. McGee glanced at Ziva. She simply shrugged.

_**09:14 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Jenny came out of her office. She leaned on the fence. She observed the bullpen below. She noticed the main members of MCRT were missing from the landscape.

The elevator swooshed open. The entire FBI's BAU team stepped out.

Alarmed, Jenny quickly walked down the stairs.

"Agent Fornell!" Jenny greeted. Fornell gave a tiny nod of acknowledgment.

"Jennifer" He replied in a rather formal tone. She smiled at the rest of the team. Fornell looked around.

"Where's Agent Gibbs?" He questioned with suspicion in his voice.

"I honestly don't know, Tobias. I just noticed" She responded.

"Well, the whole team has their phones turned off" Hotchner added. Jenny sighed.

"I sincerely apologize for this. I will have a strict talk with Jethro as soon as he comes back" Jenny said, through slightly gritted teeth. Fornell nodded. He looked around.

"Please, make yourself comfortable. You can sit at our agents' desks until they don't come back" Jenny offered, pointing to Gibbs' desk. Fornell seated himself at Gibbs' desk. JJ sat at Ziva's desk, while Reid and Derek sat at Tony's desk.

Hotchner, Rossi, Alex and Penelope were left standing there.

"I'll get the rest of you some chairs" Jenny said and turned to leave.

"Actually, I just want to know where the forensic laboratory is" Penelope questioned. Jenny turned around to face her.

"Oh, I'll go show you" Jenny offered. "I'll get you three chairs as soon as possible" She turned to the rest of the BAU team. They nodded. She led Penelope into the elevator.

_**09:22 AM, 10 miles from the center of Carmel, Indiana**_

"How long until we get there, boss?" Tony asked, utterly whining. Gibbs sighed.

"We'll be there in 20 minutes, DiNozzo" Gibbs replied, annoyed. Tony furrowed his brow. He leaned on the car window.

'_Wonder what could be Kate doing right now'_ He thought curiously.

_**09:25 AM, Brightmoor, Detroit, Michigan**_

Kate walked out of the shower. She checked if the door of the bathroom was locked. It was.

Kate observed her face in the mirror before her. She ran her finger across a little scar on her chin. Ari made her that scar.

Kate winced at the memory of him pushing her to the ground.

She sighed.

She was glad that Ziva shot him down two years ago.

But the game wasn't over yet.

Trying to push the thought away, Kate dressed herself in her underwear and rubbed a little oil to her skin.

As she rubbed the oil under her collarbone she cringed in pain. She looked down at the very place.

It's where Ari's thug shot the blank. She was lucky that they planned it out nicely with the armor-like mask under the vest.

But, it still hurt like hell. She knew well that if something didn't go according to the plan, that blank could've easily killed her.

Kate sighed. Even though she was already in her underwear, she wrapped a towel around her body and unlocked the bathroom door. She headed out.

Kate entered her bedroom. She closed the door behind her. She opened her cupboard drawer, and pulled out a blouse and a pair of jeans.

_**09:37 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C. **_

'_Swoosh!'_

The elevator opened. Jenny came out, followed by Penelope. Abby's music was heard even in the elevator. Jenny cleared her throat.

Abby, who previously had her eyes fixated on the screen, quickly turned her head, only to see Jenny and Penelope.

"Oh, hey, director!" Abby greeted happily. Abby looked at Penelope "Who's this?"

"Abby, this is FBI BAU's Technical Analyst, Penelope Garcia" She introduced. "Penelope, this our Chief Forensic Scientist, Abigail Sciuto"

"Hi, nice to meet you" Penelope said enthusiastically as she offered her hand. Abby looked at Penelope's hand. She shook it.

"Nice to meet you too" Abby equally cheerfully said. Penelope smiled.

"Okay, I'm going now. I've got some work to do" Jenny announced. Abby and Penelope looked at her.

"Sure, director. See you later!" Abby waved like a little child. Jenny entered the elevator. Penelope turned to Abby.

"So…" She slowly said, approaching Abby's computer curiously. "What do you do here?"

Abby grinned.

"Oh, I do a lot of things" Abby said.

_**09:46 AM, Carmel, Indiana**_

Gibbs, Tony, McGee and Ziva saw the big entrance to Carmel as Gibbs drove. They finally entered the city.

Tony watched as they drove past those beautiful jardinières, filled with colorful, gentle lavenders and those salmon colored orchids.

The whole little city looked so appealing. All houses were equally lined up. Everything was so well organized. He recalled reading somewhere that Carmel was chosen as the best place to live at in the United States of America.

Gibbs slowed the car. He parked in front of the Todd's house. He stopped the car. Silently, he opened the door and got out. Tony, McGee and Ziva opened theirs in the same manner and got out quietly.

Gibbs locked the car.

"What are we gonna tell them, boss?" Tony questioned sincerely, looking at Gibbs expectantly. Gibbs took a glance at Tony.

"We tell them what we know, Tony" Gibbs said. Tony sighed.

Tony, McGee and Ziva followed him to the door.

Gibbs took a breath. He knocked on the door. Tony held his breath as he waited for the door to open.

A much muffled sound of footsteps was heard. The door opened, revealing a man's face. That man happened to be Kate's father.

He had short, silvery colored hair. He wasn't as old as Tony expected him to be. He did have potential wrinkles on his face, but they weren't that noticeable. He was Gibbs' height.

He was wearing glasses.

He was dressed in a pastel blue plaid shirt. He wore pale brown pants, which were reaching the heels on his feet. Talking about feet, he had only socks on, which was completely logical. Why would anyone wear shoes in his own house? The house is cleaner this way.

A sound of dish washing was running in the background in the house.

"Can I help y-" Kate's father started just as he opened the door, but stopped himself as soon as he saw the three familiar faces. He never met Ziva, though.

His face suddenly went into a grim expression from a friendly one. Gibbs could notice that his heart was pounding slightly faster.

"Good morning, Mr. Todd" Gibbs greeted, almost sarcastically. Kate's father's mouth was previously open. Now he shut them. He quietly swallowed.

"Honey, who's on the door?" A muffled voice was heard. It belonged to his wife.

He decided to bite the bullet.

"It's NCIS, honey" He replied to his wife, with his throat clenching itself in slight shock. The sound of dish washing abruptly stopped. The sound of the running water was replaced by a short moment of silence.

Gibbs kept holding eye contact with Kate's father.

Kate's mother suddenly appeared by his side. She gripped his arm tightly with her fingers, digging her nails into his skin by accident.

She was somewhat shorter than her husband. Her hair was hazel brown. Her eye color was matching her hair. She was dressed in a black, long-sleeved top. She had dark jeans.

Gibbs saw the suffering in her eyes. He knew this was going to be tough.

"We didn't mean to bother you. We have some news. Can we come in?" Ziva asked politely. Kate's parents turned their looks to Ziva.

"Yes. Who are you?" Kate's father asked, not familiar with her face. Ziva swallowed.

"I replaced Kate two years ago" She confessed unwillingly. She watched carefully as Kate's mother took a sharp breath intake.

"We're Douglas and Lorie Todd" Douglas, Kate's father introduced himself and his wife to Ziva. She nodded in acknowledgment.

"Nice to meet you" She said in the friendliest way possible. Douglas turned his head to Gibbs now.

"Please, come in" Lorie offered. They followed the two of them as they led them through the house.

"Take a seat, please" Loire said, pointing to the empty couch in front of them.

The entire house looked like a standard family house.

The living room contained two couches, a coffee table and a TV. It was merged with the dining room, so the dining table was there. The living room was petty huge. It was a multiple-leveled home. It had stairs that probably led to the bedrooms, since the lower level was made out of the living room and the kitchen.

"I thought Kate had three brothers and a sister" Tony said, looking around the house. He noticed that the siblings that Kate had mentioned were nowhere to be found around here. He sat on the couch, next to McGee. Ziva and Gibbs were seated on the opposite one.

"Oh, that's because Rachel lives in Miami, and Kate's brothers live in New York, all three of them" Lorie replied, looking intently at a picture of her sons.

Douglas sat on the couch, next to Tony and McGee. Lorie joined him.

"Why did you decide to visit us, Agent Gibbs?" Douglas questioned. Gibbs scratched his nose bridge. He sighed.

Silence overruled.

Lorie gasped.

"Does this have to do something with our Kate?" She asked, feeling slightly panicky. Gibbs sucked it in.

"Yes" He confessed silently.

Lorie covered her mouth. She leaned on her husband. Douglas slowly running his fingers across her shoulder, trying to soothe her.

"What exactly?" Douglas asked seriously, with his heart racing with his mind. Thousands of thoughts ran through his head right now.

"We found evidence that she's not dead" Tony added instead of Gibbs. Kate's parents turned their heads to Tony rapidly.

"How come?" Lorie whispered in shock.

"We're still trying to figure out that part" McGee said. Gibbs nodded.

"We'll keep you updated of what we find" Ziva promised. Lorie and Douglas got up. So did Gibbs, Ziva, McGee and Tony. Lorie and Douglas were now standing in front of Gibbs, with their backs turned to him.

"You will bring our daughter back to us, won't you?" Lorie asked with hope sparkling in her eyes as she caught Tony's hands in hers. Tony looked at her, sympathizing with her. He glanced at Gibbs, Ziva and McGee, who were shaking their heads.

Tony sighed.

"I promise we will, Ms. Todd" Tony promised, with a heavy feeling in his chest. She smiled genuinely. Gibbs, Ziva and McGee sighed, knowing he blew it up.

"Thank you" She gratefully replied. Tony flashed a quick smile before following his boss out of the house.

They all sat in the car.

"Tony, you weren't supposed to say that" Ziva said as Gibbs started the engine. Tony sighed.

"I had to give her something, Ziva" Tony argued.

"Don't make promises you know you can't keep, DiNozzo. Live by that standard. Life's not fair. Chances that we might find her alive in a month are very low" Gibbs explained bitterly. Tony sighed, crossing his arms.

_**10:12 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C. **_

"Go home, Tobias. Jethro won't be back anytime soon" Jenny sighed, irritated by the fact that Gibbs was ruining the agency's reputation.

Fornell groaned as he got up from the chair he was sitting in. He stretched his arms.

"You're right" He confessed with a light shrug of his shoulders. "But, if he' not back here until seven PM, I will start investigating the agency. Was I clear?"

Jenny gulped.

"Very clear, sir" She replied coldly. Fornell nodded.

"Good. Let's go people. Chop, chop. Move along" He ordered to his team. They all groaned and moaned as they got up, feeling tired and worn out.

"I'll just go down to the lab to get Garcia" Fornell sleepily said. Jenny nodded.

"Go ahead" She smiled. He went to the elevator. Once the door swung open, he entered the elevator. Jenny sighed, watching the door close.

…

'_Swoosh!'_

The elevator door opened. Fornell stepped out.

"We're going back, Garcia" Fornell said through a tired voice. Penelope turned to him, and her smile wiped away.

"Just a few more minutes, please! It's so cool around here!" She childishly begged through a whine. Fornell rolled his eyes.

"No. Now get moving" He ordered. Penelope slouched her back and puckered her lips.

"Coming" She unwillingly followed him. "Bye, Abby"

Abby waved.

"See you, Penelope!" She cheerfully said. Penelope and Fornell came into the elevator, leaving Abby alone in the lab. The elevator door closed. Abby leaned on her elbows and watched her computer screen in boredom.

* * *

_**About two and a half hours later**_

_**12:39 PM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C. **_

'_Swoosh!'_

The elevator spread wide open, revealing Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and McGee. They walked into the bullpen and dropped their stuff off.

"Jethro!" Jenny yelled as she was going down the stairs. "Where the hell have you been?"

Gibbs sighed and sat at his desk.

"None of your concern" He nonchalantly replied, pushing her question away. She dropped her jaw in anger.

"No, Jethro, that is actually a very important part of my job" She angrily yelled. "As a director of this agency, I must be aware of what my agents do and where are they when not on the line of duty!"

Gibbs got up, with his face barely three inches apart from her face.

"I was doing my job, Jen!" He said as he passed her by. He climbed the stairs to her office. "Are you satisfied now?"

She looked him in the eye bitterly. They were standing in front of her office. Tony, Ziva and McGee were looking at them intently.

"Yes, Jethro. _Very._" She hissed before slamming the door of her office right in front of his nose. Her behavior was concerning him even more now. She has never been like this. Does she know something he doesn't?

"Back to work, everyone!" Gibbs yelled to his team. Tony and Ziva quickly sat back at their desks and got back to the _Hales_ case. McGee went down into the lab to help Abby with the case.

* * *

_**About eight hours later…**_

'_Swoosh!'_

"What you got, Abbs?" Gibbs questioned as he walked into the lab. Abby glanced at him. McGee was sitting next to her.

"Well, Tony found a bullet at the crime scene, so he gave me the evidence bag with the bullet. I took the bullet and I tried to see if there are any prints on it" Abby explained, walking around her lab. Gibbs watched her.

"And?" He asked expectantly. Abby smirked.

"You can't rush science, Gibbs! Plus, you know I have to warm up before I get to the point" Abby replied. Gibbs smiled.

"Go on" He said. She nodded.

"I only found one partial fingerprint on the bullet" Abby said.

"Can you match that?"He asked.

"Yup. But it will take longer than usual, especially because I'm running it through the database of the entire United States" She explained. "But, the good thing is that I narrowed the search to only males, because I examined the ridges. Males tend to have bigger ridges, while females have smaller, because they normally have smaller hands"

"And the type of the gun?" Gibbs questioned.

"On that. Based on the fact there was a fingerprint on the bullet, it's probably a revolver, since you manually put bullets in a revolver" Abby said.

"I'm matching it…" Abby whispered.

The screen beeped. It had _**'Match found'**_ written on it. Abby smiled.

"The bullet was fired from a .45 Long Colt Revolver!" Abby yelled. Gibbs smiled.

"Good work, Abbs" He patted her back. He looked at his watch.

Gibbs released a sigh.

"Go home now. You both did a great job today" Gibbs said to both McGee and Abby.

"Thank you, boss" McGee thanked him. Abby smiled. Gibbs went into the elevator. The elevator door closed, leaving Abby alone in the lab with McGee. Abby turned to McGee.

"Do you wanna grab some Chinese out at the corner?" Abby suggested cheerfully. McGee smiled.

"Would love that!" McGee replied happily. His phone suddenly buzzed. He checked it. He got a new message from Delilah, his girlfriend. His face suddenly curved into a little smile. He glanced at Abby. The smile now disappeared.

"Uh, Abby… I'm sorry, but… I can't go right now. Maybe next time after work? Tomorrow maybe?" He questioned.

Abby felt slightly betrayed. She faked a smile.

"Sure" She said. "That would be… that would be great, McGee"

McGee smiled.

"Thanks for understanding me" He said and hugged her. Abby never wanted him to let go of her now that she was in his warm embrace.

McGee parted from her.

"See you tomorrow!" He said after entering the elevator. She waved slowly to him. The elevator door closed.

"Bye" She simply whispered. She sighed and turned to take Bert from her desk. She squeezed it tightly. Bert let out a fart sound.

_**08:48 AM, Brightmoor, Detroit, Michigan**_

Kate was watching the TV, eating a chocolate bar. Well, she wasn't really paying attention to the movie on the screen. She was being too busy being nostalgic about NCIS again. A toilet flushing was heard. Emily got out of the bathroom. Kate turned around.

"We're out of wet wipes" Emily jumped on the couch. Kate shrugged.

"Go buy some at the supermarket" Kate suggested and went back to eating her chocolate bar. Emily chuckled sarcastically.

"Oh, no. No way that I'm going to the store again. It's your turn, Kate" Emily growled. Kate looked at Emily, with annoyance.

"Ugh. Fine" Kate muttered. Emily smiled. Kate got up from the couch. She threw the chocolate bar's wrapper in the trashcan and took her jacket. She put her shoes on and took the car keys. She walked out of the house.

Kate sat in the car. She started engine. She took a deep breath.

Finally, she started driving.

The supermarket wasn't that far from their safe house. She parked in front of the store. Again, she took a deep breath.

"It's just wet wipes, Kate. Nothing bad is gonna happen" Kate repeated to herself. She sighed and got out of the car.

Kate locked the car and walked into the store. She looked around the store. She saw the 'Baby Care' rack and headed to it.

Kate took the wet wipes she wanted and headed straight to the cashier. Her heart was pounding.

She handed over the wet wipes and waited for the woman to scan the wipes.

Kate noticed the market was already closing. She was the only customer.

"That will be one dollar and ninety seven cents" The cashier said in her usual monotone voice. "Cash or credit?"

"Cash" Kate replied, without any hesitation. She knew she couldn't use a credit card. They would track her down that way.

She took out the two dollars that were in her pocket and handed them over to the cashier. The woman took three pennies and gave them to Kate.

"Here's your change" The cashier said. Kate nodded and took the money.

"Thanks" She replied. She walked out of the store, back to her car. She unlocked the car and opened the trunk in a hurry. It was already extremely dark outside. Just as she was about to close her trunk, she gasped as she felt a piece of cold metal lying on her shoulder.

It was a gun barrel.

She shivered.

"Get in the car and drive if you don't want anyone hurt" The stranger coldly whispered. Kate could feel his glare on her head.

She slowly nodded and sat in the car, with him behind her, on the back seat, still holding the gun on her shoulder.

It was going to be a long and scary roller-coaster ride for both Caitlin Todd and Emily Prentiss.

* * *

**AN: So? What do you say? If you liked it, please leave a nice review. Feedback is always welcome. Please, no flames. Kate's faked death will be explained LATER THROUGHOUT THE STORY. I hope this chapter was an improvement. If not, i'll make sure that the next one is. **

**P.S: I'll try my best to cut the long delay this time.**


	5. Sergei

**AN: Please don't kill me for not updating for so long! **

**I AM SO SORRY.**

**I cannot express my apologies enough through words. I am extremely sorry. I finally graduated from Music School, o I've got less things to worry about. My Summer vacation has started on July 12th and won't end until September 1st, so there's plenty of time for me to write. But not to blame school, I also was a bit lazy. Even when I was inspired, wanting to write, I could not bring myself to do such a thing. So, today I finally decided to end the chapter. It's a bit shorter, but I think it ended just where it should. I hope you'll like this chapter, and if you do, then it will be highly appreciated from you all to review it. I'm very interested in your opinions. They inspire me. ;)**

**ENJOY.**

* * *

Chapter 5

_**09:08 PM, Brightmoor, Detroit, Michigan**_

Kate quietly parked the car in front of the safe house. The captor leaned in, with his gun close to Kate's neck. Kate's breathing became faster.

"Go in there, and invite Emily to the car" His hoarse whisper utterly crept on her neck. The coldness of his breath irritated her skin in the most unpleasant way. She shivered with the feeling of him close to her.

"How do you know her name?" Kate spoke in a low voice, trying to remain calm. He ran his finger down her neck, slowly. His cold, rough hand felt so strange on her soft delicate skin. She shivered once again.

"I know a lot of things, Caitlin" His harsh voice haunted her. Kate shuddered at the way he said her name.

"What if I don't convince her to come with me?" Kate asked quietly, _almost_ tauntingly, challengingly. He removed his hand slowly from her neck. Kate felt relieved to have his touch removed.

He quickly pulled his gun up to her head.

Kate gulped.

"You will. Or I'll kill both of you" He coldly hissed into her ear, pressing the gun harder to her head. Kate sighed. She unbuckled her belt. She turned around to face her captor.

"I'm going in there" Kate said, desperately wanting him to trust her. He smirked.

"Don't forget that I'm watching you. If you try to run, I've got you on gunpoint" He stated, sending cold flashes through her entire petite body.

Kate silently nodded. Swallowing, she opened the car door and got out. Her heart nearly skipped a beat as her feet touched the ground. She glanced at her captor. He was carefully observing her every move.

Kate shivered from his stare. She closed the car door behind her. As soon as the door banged behind her, he raised his gun, with Kate as his target. He moved his gun along as she walked to the house.

Kate walked in, now out of his sight. He lowered his gun. All he had to do now was to wait.

…

Kate closed the door behind her. Without taking her shoes off, she walked into the house. She entered the living room.

Kate spotted Emily sitting on the couch. She held her breath.

Emily turned her head. Her eyes met Kate's. A warm smile spread across Emily's face.

"What took you so long?" Emily asked as she got up. She suddenly noticed Kate's pale, grim face. "Kate, what's wrong?"

Kate couldn't answer. She just stared grimly at her friend. Emily observed her.

She worked on BAU. She can do this.

"You're afraid" Emily came to a realization, tilting her head. "Why are you afraid? What happened?"

"You have to come with me first" Kate whispered, utterly helplessly. Emily looked at her worriedly.

"Why?" She suspiciously questioned, taking a step back. Kate shook her head.

"Quick. Pack two shirts and some underwear. We're leaving" Kate finally confessed. Emily dropped her jaw open. Kate took an already packed backpack from her bedroom. She threw it over her shoulder and walked back into the room.

"What? Why?" Emily questioned, shocked by what she had just heard. Kate sighed. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, a now well-known male voice to Kate interrupted her thought.

"This is why" He coldly spoke, pleased with himself as he spoke. Emily froze as she spotted the unknown man at the door. Kate swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat.

Emily took a step back. The man raised his gun immediately.

"Take one step and she's dead" He warned, pointing his weapon to the back of Kate's head. Kate shivered.

Emily glared at the man. She sighed in frustration. He made his satisfaction very visible. He lowered his gun, with a crooked smile on his face.

"Good choice. Now get out of the house and lock the door" He ordered in a low voice. Emily glanced at Kate. Kate nodded in agreement. Emily walked to the door. The man had his gun following every Emily's step carefully.

Emily and Kate both got out, along with the captor. Emily took the keys and locked the door silently. The man observed patiently as she locked the door.

The lock clicked. Emily took her key out and put it in her pocket. She glanced at her captor.

"Follow me" He ordered through a whisper. Kate and Emily went behind him as he led them to Kate's car. He motioned with his head to the car door.

"Sit" He ordered silently. Kate opened the door. Both she and Emily sat in the backseat. The captor sat at the driver's seat. He started the engine. He drove out of the house yard. Kate turned around.

She watched as the house faded into black as they drove away.

She bit her lip with uneasiness going through her whole body.

_Things are about to change._

_**09:23 PM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Ziva shrugged her jacket on. She took her bag and glanced at Tony for a second. She quietly observed as he stared at some picture.

Ziva sighed audibly, wanting to make her presence obvious. Tony moved his eyes up expectantly, his eyebrows wrinkled up. Ziva awkwardly smiled.

"Night" She quietly said, with her slightly harsh accent. Tony looked back at the photo.

"Good night" He murmured quietly. Ziva sighed once again. She turned her lamp off and walked into the elevator.

The bullpen was dim. The only light was coming from Tony's desk. He continued staring at a picture.

It was a picture of Wendy. She was smiling.

He glanced at his hand. His engagement ring was shimmering from the light his desk lamp was offering.

Tony sighed.

The wedding date was in two months, and yet, it felt like tomorrow to him.

He scratched the back of his head.

It's not that he didn't want to marry Wendy; it's just that he wasn't ready yet.

It felt as though Wendy was only his comfort.

A replacement he found too quickly.

Irritated and confused, Tony turned off the lamp, leaving the picture on the desk with a loud thump. He stood up and walked out of the bullpen.

_**09:37 PM, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

"Really? And I thought that I was crazy…" McGee said to his girlfriend, Delilah. Delilah laughed. They were on a date at the Italian food restaurant called '_Osteria Morini'._

This date was special to McGee. Why?

Because, he spent his entire days working at NCIS. This was a perfect opportunity to make it up to Delilah.

"Yeah. Tell me about that" Delilah replied, still chuckling. She sighed and gently pushed her plate away. It was almost empty.

"My stomach hurts" Delilah complained, while stretching her arms out in the air. McGee laughed.

"Well, Italian food can be pretty harsh for your digestive system" McGee added. Delilah smiled and put her arms back on the table.

"Yeah? Maybe next time we should try Mexican food" Delilah teasingly replied. McGee smiled, shaking his head.

"Trust me, you don't wanna do that" He assured her. His phone rang. Delilah looked at him expectantly as he checked the caller ID.

"Who is it?" Delilah asked, leaning in to see his phone. McGee looked at the phone. The caller ID read _'Abby'._

McGee stared at the phone, clutching it a bit harder.

"Ugh…" He said, drifting off in his own thoughts. Delilah raised her eyebrows expectantly at him.

"Tim?" She called, forcing him to come back to reality. McGee flinched quickly, jerking out of his daydreaming.

"Uhm…" McGee hesitated. He sighed and rejected the call. "Just… a friend"

Delilah looked at him, with a rather puzzled look on her face.

"Then why didn't you answer?" She questioned. McGee smiled. He left his phone on the table. He caught her small hands in his, holding them tight.

"I want this night to be only ours" McGee said, assuring Delilah in his words. Delilah smiled. She leaned in to kiss him.

_Why am I alone and freezing, while you're in the bed that she's in?_

_**09:49 PM, Detroit, Michigan**_

The captor drove Kate and Emily through the highway.

Second by second Kate was panicking more and more.

Emily pinching her thigh was a sign to stop breathing so heavily.

"What's your name?" Emily asked grimly, after some time passed, with her arms crossed.

"Excuse me?" He impolitely addressed Emily, glancing shortly at the rearview mirror. Their eyes met.

She frowned and rolled her eyes.

"Answer the question" She harshly replied. The man sighed and shook his head.

"Sergei" He said after a short moment of hesitation. Emily nodded.

"Do you have a last name, _Sergei_?" Emily asked, implying his name on purpose.

"Sergei Mishnev" He replied, with annoyance apparent in his voice. "Are you satisfied now?"

"No. Thanks for the answer, though" Emily murmured to herself, but still loudly enough for Sergei to hear.

"Do you have a wife?" Kate asked. She watched as Sergei caught her glance in the rearview mirror. "I thought so. I'm sure she'll be pleased to see this. Or is she just one of your accomplices?" Kate harshly added, with a pinch of sarcasm here and there.

The car abruptly stopped.

Kate involuntarily and violently leaned into the driver's seat in full speed. Her back hit the back of the seat with a loud thud. Her breathing took a faster pace.

Emily gasped.

Sergei stopped the car. He turned to Kate, obviously fuming.

"My wife died. Ten years ago" Sergei coldly whispered. His facial muscles were tensed. It was very easy to get the message that he would kill her.

Kate stared at him at shock.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know…" She quietly started, feeling remorse pulsing through her brain.

"Yeah. Everyone's _sorry_" He whispered before turning back to the wheel and starting the car again. Emily glanced at Kate almost reproachfully.

Kate closed her eyes and held her breath in anticipation, followed by guilt.

_**26**__**th**__** of April, 2007**_

_**08:17 AM, somewhere in Detroit**_

Kate slowly blinked a few times. Her eyes gradually opened. She woke up and positioned herself in a sitting position.

Kate looked around. Only a few looks around the room were enough for her to register the information.

This was not the room she slept in for two years.

That was not the same bed she slept in.

Alarmed, Kate quickly spun her head around the room, to take in her surroundings.

The walls were painted in bright salmon color. There were enormous oak- wooden shelves filled with tattered and damaged, old books falling on top of each other like dominos all over the room.

There were no windows in the room, to her surprise. The fact that there were no windows only increased the feeling of fear and panic, mixed with claustrophobia.

She then came to a realization.

It all came back to her.

Last night.

Some guy named Sergei kidnapped both her and Emily and drove them through a highway. After that, her memory faded. She couldn't remember anything else.

Was she drugged?

Kate checked her wrists quickly, searching for any sign of something being injected into her.

No signs of a needle. Plus, she would have felt it.

Was she intoxicated by food?

That's not likely to be true.

Maybe she just fell asleep?

A thousand of horrendous thoughts ran through her mind like raging storm. Emily suddenly came to her mind?

Where is she?

Is she hurt?

Alive?

Anxiety pulsated through her body. Emily was nowhere in her eyesight.

"Emily?!" Kate yelled in panic. Her door creaked open. Kate rapidly turned her head to where her pillow was.

She tried to reach for her gun under her pillow, but disappointment took over as she realized there was no gun under her pillow.

This wasn't her house.

_Damn._

Kate shivered with anticipation as the door finally opened. For that split second, her heart would've jumped out of her chest.

She quickly realized who was the person standing at her door.

Kate's breath hitched in her throat as her mind identified the person as Sergei. By his facial expression and body language, she could tell something wasn't right. At least not with him.

"Quiet!" He hissed, with rage flowing through his entire being. He ran to her.

Kate watched. What was seconds, seemed like hours.

Like in slow motion, she watched as he ran towards her. Even though he looked like he was running slowly, it left her with no possibility to move or to think.

She knew if she made a move, he would no longer be running slowly. No, he would be probably chasing after her, like a hungry lion chasing after his prey.

And like the lion, he would hunt her down in a matter of only milliseconds.

So she just sat there. There was no time.

Maybe he would finally kill her.

Kate gasped in shock as he utterly jumped over her, securing her mouth with his own palm. Kate's breathing became rapid.

Sergei panted as he pressed his hand on Kate's lips with major pressure.

"Do you want someone to notice that you're here?" He violently whispered. "Huh? Do you want both you and Emily dead?"

Kate watched him, holding back her screams that were threatening to escape her mouth. It was the thought of her team that stopped her from running away.

Their gazes locked. Silence filled the room.

Sergei sighed, closing his eyes. He removed his hand from Kate's mouth. He got up and walked out of the room. "Breakfast is ready" He mumbled.

"Where's Emily?" Kate yelled as the door shut themselves with a loud bang. Kate rolled her eyes. She glanced at her left. Her bag has been placed by her bed.

_**08:39 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

_Poke._

_Poke._

_POKE._

"Special Agent DiNozzo, sir!" Tony yelled as he abruptly awoke from his dream, through a hoarse voice. His hair was messy. Like someone spent hours ruffling it. He cleared his throat as the person before him laughed.

"Good morning to you" Ziva said through a laugh. She headed back to her desk, still chuckling. Tony squinted his eyes grumpily in her way. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. Ziva booted up her computer. She shifted her weight onto her elbows, leaning them on her desk.

She observed Tony.

"What has brought you here so early?" Ziva tauntingly asked, keeping her glare on him. She was gonna enjoy this.

Tony looked up at her.

"What are you talking about-"He started in disbelief, but the realization cut him off violently.

He forgot to go home when he was in the bullpen in the early morning.

_Dammit._

"I was, uh…" He said, desperately searching for excuses in his mind. "I just came in early, that's all" He lied, crossing his fingers under the table and hoping she would leave him alone. She couldn't know about his _'problem'_.

Even if it meant eating him alive. It was his dark, little secret.

Ziva nodded, acting as if she believes him. But she knew all too well when someone's lying. It's a habit that stuck to her from her Mossad training. And Tony was at some times like an open book. His forehead literally had a label stuck to it, saying _'LIAR'_.

She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, with a satisfied grin on her face. She was gonna get the truth out of him one way or another.

"And you just happened to fall asleep right after you came in?" She asked, smiling when he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I actually did" He replied through a hiss, hoping she would then leave it. But no. It was Ziva we're talking about. And does Special Agent Ziva David give up? Well, even a hamster can figure that one out.

Ziva nodded, pretending to understand.

_She had no idea._

"Had a _rough night_?" She asked playfully, with Tony and some hot blonde popping into her mind right away. Tony raised his head.

It was much different to him.

_Rough night_? You could say so. If by _'rough night' _you mean having extremely vivid and lucid nightmares that are actually '_just'_ horrid memories of your partner bleeding out to death on your hands, and then throwing up_ twice_ after that? Sure, let's call it a _'rough night'_.

He wasn't sure if _'a rough night' _was way too subtle for his problem. How about _'a terrible torture that wouldn't stop until 3 AM'_? Yeah, that will do.

After a long pause filled with the suffocating sound of silence, Tony swallowed the unpleasant lump that formed in his throat as he remembered his rollercoaster ride last night.

"You could say so" Tony quietly spoke, avoiding any possible eye contact. Ziva found his rather rapid mood-swing strange. She observed him, but she didn't read anything. She sighed.

"I'm just glad you told me then" She decided to leave it. There was definitely more to this. She was surely gonna dig a bit further on this later.

_Ding!_

McGee walked out of the elevator, following the boss.

"Morning, Gibbs" Ziva greeted cheerfully, glancing at Gibbs for a short moment. Tony looked up only to let out a little _hi, boss_ as well. Gibbs planted the coffee cup on his desk with a little thud. He sat in his chair.

Ever since last night, something was wrong. He could feel it. His gut was desperately warning him that something's going on. It would be great if his gut could speak, because this way, he was unsure and tense all the time. Anxiety exchanged places with his regular Gibbs, so now he was Grumpy-worried Gibbs.

He poured the coffee with satisfaction down his throat. His gut twisted violently again. Gibbs put down the coffee cup.

"It's either that something's wrong, or Starbucks has to check on their milk" He accidentally murmured to himself out loud, instead of taking it as a mental note. Ziva glanced at him.

"What?" She asked. Gibbs glanced at her. He shook his head.

"It's nothing" He assured her.

_Ding!_

The metal elevator doors suddenly flew open. A group of people walked into the bullpen.

Tony, McGee and Ziva glanced at Gibbs at the same time.

"You expecting company, boss?" Tony questioned sarcastically, looking intently at Gibbs. Gibbs shook his head, with his eyes fixated on the unexpected guests.

And who would it be other than the FBI?

"Hello, Jethro" Fornell's husky voice crept in. Gibbs glared at him. "What, I don't even get a hello?"

Gibbs sighed audibly.

"What do you want, Tobias?" Gibbs asked with annoyance implied in his question. Fornell cleared his throat.

"Okay, I'm gonna make this real quick. The FBI has reasonable suspicion that particular people from this unit are involved in the process of Special Agent Todd's fake death and Special Agent Emily Prentiss' fake death" Fornell watched Gibbs' face turn pale, glancing at each member of his team.

Hotchner stepped by Fornell.

"This whole unit is from now on under investigation!" He proclaimed, with his voice echoing through the bullpen.

Tony, Ziva and McGee exchanged shocked and worried glances.

* * *

**AN: DUN DUN DUN! That's freaky, right? I think that's exactly where it should stop. I'll try my best to write more as fast as possible.**

**If you like it, review. I really want to hear all of your opinions. In your reviews, you can all tell me what do you think shall happen next? Advice, feedback, suggestions, your thoughts of what's going to happen next...yada,yada...Whatever you feel like! hut don't flame. Please. **


	6. The monster inside

**AN: I know. I broke my promise. I know. I even promised to cm209 that I'll do my best to upload it that day. That day was two days ago. And I'm sorry. Really really sorry. I don't know why it took me so long to do this chapter, but thank God, it's finally up! I've also been on a short vacation for four days, without my laptop, and without Wi-Fi. **

**Those who haven't watched Season 12 yet probably haven't heard of Mishnev. He's not an original character by me, he's actually a real terrorist from season 12. If you don't know how he looks, please go google him or find him on . All I did was that I altered his back story a bit and changed his characteristics here and there. But, he's pretty much the same person. Horrific. **

**ANYWAYS, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 6

_**08:47 AM, somewhere in Detroit, Michigan**_

Kate released the somewhat rusty knob, allowing the old door to produce an unpleasant squealing-like sound. The sound reminded of sharp fingernails shoved into the surface of an old chalkboard, screeching as they are sliding down the rough, green surface.

Her head flew to her left, then to her right. On the both of her sides, there were medium-sized wooden doors, completely shut. They were not as bad as the door leading to her room.

Her door could easily be recognized as old. Like they've been untouched for an eternity. They've been left to rot, all by themselves. Scratches were etched at the sides. _Either they're really old, or someone was having a fight?_

Kate shook her head, pushing away the grim thoughts.

The doorknob hung loose. Rust had consumed half of it.

Kate squinted

Looking carefully, she could see the tiny bugs invading the wooden door, just below the knob.

Kate turned her head back to her left.

Whereas the two door on her left and right were in a much better state. Well reserved. The messing doorknobs were still shining brightly, with no rust on them, unlike her knob. Seemed like they were new.

A strong need to explore those rooms suddenly took Kate over. Her investigating instinct was coming back.

Her gut was desperately trying to lead her into the rooms, but Kate's common sense was saying the opposite.

She stood there. Conflicted.

A sigh of frustration escaped her mouth as she closed her eyes.

A cold flash sprinted through her entire being.

_Emily._

The realization hit her. Her knees trembled in fear.

She felt like blood was racing to her brain.

It didn't take that long until a thousand of questions started to tear through her mind, racing with the scary scenarios that were popping one by one.

Her lips quavered in panic as she tried to gather her thoughts into one, simple, rational thought.

The battlefield of thoughts raging in her mind was interrupted by a muffled clunk of dishes. Kate's breathing quickened as she turned ahead of her.

She was confused by how she did not notice it earlier.

A long, rather obscure hallway was extending to a faintly illuminated open door; leading to what she assumed was a kitchen. She couldn't really tell because of the distance.

The room at the end of the corridor was the only source of light to the corridor. Giving away some illumination to it, the slightly blurred room at the end made the corridor less dark; it had more of a dim tone.

Her body gave away, handing itself over to the shadows of the dark mist. Even without her will, her legs marched, like they were programmed to.

As she got closer, walking towards the bright room, the sound of dishes clattering against each other got louder.

The once muffled sound became clearer; more lucid. It no longer seemed like a grim nightmare. Everything was realistic and comprehensible.

The sound of running water crept in.

As she stood close to the door, the image started to sink in.

And the deadly nightmare returned.

But she couldn't awake from this one.

The blood in her veins froze. Shivers went down her spine. Her heart wanted to rip out of her chest so badly.

She watched in awe as Sergei stood there, washing the dishes like he hadn't kidnapped two former special agents last night.

She watched.

There was a new emotion she felt now, besides fear.

_Anger._

How could he be so satisfied with himself? How could he live with the fact that he had two grown women as his captives?

Pretending like nothing's wrong? Like it never even happened.

Perhaps she didn't get it.

Maybe it was because she didn't live in the world of psychopaths. She wasn't one of them. She didn't think like them.

But she knew how they think.

At least she thought so.

This one?

She wasn't sure if she could read him.

So she just stood there.

She just stood there and watched.

She just patiently watched, as a little lump formed in her throat. Waiting for him to notice.

Maybe he did notice.

Maybe he just didn't care enough to at least glance at her.

Her body stiffened. She could only see him from where she was standing.

Kate sighed quietly.

She ran her fingertips gently over her little, silver crucifix, which hang loose on her necklace, just under her collarbone.

_**08:56 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

"This is ridiculous" Abby whispered. "We're prisoners of our own evidence lock-up"

"We're not prisoners, we're evidence. That's why we're here" Tony replied, with implication of annoyance. His eyes were fixated on the FBI agent, Derek Morgan, who stood by the elevator silently.

"But we're being guarded, I mean" Abby swung around to face Derek. "You're being very guarded about guarding us, sir" She pointed her finger at him, resembling a little child. Tony held his laughter from escaping his mouth.

"What is this about?" Abby hollered as she wandered back and forth in the evidence garage. Morgan watched her quietly, along with Tony, Ziva, McGee, Ducky and Palmer.

"I mean, first of all, Kate turns out to be alive, then this Emily pops up too, then they take Gibbs into interrogation!" Abby continued to ramble on, her hands shaking as they flew around. Abby always used hands to gesticulate her words.

Derek's eyes shot in Abby's direction as soon as she mentioned Emily.

"Relax, Abby, I'm sure you're not their suspect" McGee said with his reassuring voice.

"Then who is their suspect? Gibbs?" She questioned loudly, her voice echoing through the entire room.

"No, he's not" Ziva sighed audibly. Abby turned to her. "I'm sure they don't even know what they're looking for"

Ziva eyed Morgan for a split second, checking if he had heard her. As their eyes met, her heart rate jumped. His eyes were narrowed and fixated on her. His judgmental stare wasn't reassuring her a bit.

Maybe that was it.

Maybe the FBI knew what she and Jenny were up to for the past two years.

A lump formed in Ziva's throat. She somehow managed to swallow it.

_**09:03 AM, somewhere in Detroit, Michigan**_

Sergei cautiously observed the female figure walking into the room. He watched as she sat down at the round, glass table he made all by himself a few years ago.

He watched as Kate gasped in shock.

"Emily" She said softly, feeling water form in her eyes. She couldn't bear the joy, the relief. Emily smiled somewhat weakly.

Rather genuinely at first, before realizing herself how she was also lucky to have Kate sitting across the table, alive and well.

After the realization came, a warm smile widened, creasing her cheeks. Her teeth were revealed.

Kate was for a short second reminded of Tony with Emily smiling like that at her. She remembered how Tony would always flash a huge, playful smile, which looked like it was powered by a hundred of light bulbs.

And the urge overtook her thoughts. She utterly attacked Emily with her hug.

_Another memory._

_Abby was always such a strong hugger. She would go from one person to the other, only to squeeze the next one a bit harder._

She hadn't even noticed a single tear rolling down her soft cheek. She quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. She tried to hide her sniffle.

_Just how much she missed her team._

Emily wrapped her arms around Kate in return, trying to soothe her.

"I thought you were dead" Kate breathed into Emily's ear, her breath warming the skin of Emily's neck. Emily chuckled gently. She released herself from Kate's strong embrace.

"You know me, Kate. I'm a fighter" She jokingly said, trying to cheer Kate up. A little smile lit Kate's face up.

A rough cough interrupted their gaze. The smiles faded away. Their heads turned towards Sergei in unison. The corners of his mouth tilted upwards lightly, being very obvious that he was trying to conceal a smile.

_Control._

He liked to control.

_Dominate_.

Made him feel worth.

Worth of something.

Maybe there would be a freaking purpose of his life. A reason why he's still breathing this damn air. The same air his wife used to breathe ten years ago.

Before they took her from him.

They ripped her out of his life. She was gone in a flash. In a blink of an eye, his life painfully shattered into pieces.

His intention to smile was long forgotten. Instead, a weak frown came to his face, his hands gripping on kitchen surface tightly.

Sergei violently ripped himself apart from the surface. He took the plates filled with food and placed on the table. Kate and Emily sat down again.

_Revenge._

_**09:08 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

The barely audible screech of the interrogation doors being opened.

_Thud._

They're closed.

Multiple footsteps.

A figure standing behind the glass.

Observing carefully. Pleasured.

The silver haired man heads for the chair right in front of the glass. The other man shakes his hand, waving his finger in disapproval. Like he's talking to a little child.

He feels empowered. How interesting. He finally gets to see him on the other side of the table.

He points his index finger to the suspect's chair. Looking up at his suspect, seeking for some kind of a reaction.

The silver haired man nods, trying his best to show no emotion. But there's something.

Nobody's perfect.

A glimpse of anger is visible in his eyes. The fire burning.

He drags the chair and positions himself in it. The interrogator sits opposite of him.

The figure standing in the dark pulls out the toothpick that has been hanging out of his mouth for the previous two hours.

Observing how the suspect is conquered by the people he had the courage to call his _friends_.

The interrogator clears his throat. A quick fix of his tie. Audible sigh.

Everything proceeds further in utter silence.

He has a folder filled with papers. Takes one more glance at the suspect, before looking back at his folder. He opens it up, revealing a large stack of documents, mixed with pictures.

The suspect can't help but peek a bit. He's curious what are they gonna charge him with. Probably something he didn't even do. Shove two or three wicked crimes into his face and get him to sit at the jail for fifteen years at least.

The interrogator smiles, looking upon at the 'suspect'. He takes a paper out and begins to read.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs" He reads it. The suspect smirks.

"Right here" He provocatively speaks, challenging the interrogator. He chuckles, putting down the paper.

"I don't need that damn piece of paper, Jethro. You know that" He sighs, crossing his legs over each other.

"Why's that, _Tobias_?" He implies the interrogator's name. The interrogator smiles deviously. He leans in.

"I can read you like a book" Fornell whispers, trying to scare Gibbs. He's mistaken.

Gibbs nods.

"Really?" Gibbs mockingly questions, folding his arms. Fornell hums out a 'mhm' as a response, observing the suspect.

The figure rolls his eyes. He returns the toothpick back in his mouth, leaving it to hang from his barely open mouth.

"In fact, I don't think you did it" Fornell sighs, scratching his temple with his neatly clipped nails. Gibbs forces a mock laugh, looking at the glass behind Fornell.

"You know… It'd be really nice if you told me what is it that you think I have done" Gibbs sarcastically remarks, slowly losing his patience.

Fornell snickers mockingly. The smiling face morphs into a grim looking one.

"You know damn right what I'm talking about" Fornell leans in, whispering his words cold-heartedly. Gibbs draws away, replaying the past events in his head.

He stares at Fornell with shock on his face, as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

"You think I helped Kate fake her death?" He questions, with disbelief and anger apparent in his stern voice. Fornell shrugs.

"We're not jumping to any conclusions here, Jethro" Fornell disdainfully says, his eyes rolling back down to the folder. He goes through some pages in complete silence.

He stops.

He takes out a particular paper. Gibbs can easily see that this paper brought interest to Fornell.

Fornell chuckles, the sound echoing through the previously silent room. He sighs and looks at Gibbs.

"I've got a question for you" He puts the paper down. Gibbs sighs with annoyance. "Where were you on the night of May 24th, 2005?" Fornell asks, scrunching his eyebrows, staring at Gibbs. Gibbs groans.

"NCIS Headquarters. I've got eyewitnesses and cameras" Gibbs explains. Fornell mumbles something to himself.

"Night of May 25th, 2005?" Fornell continues. Gibbs tries his best to control himself from strangling Fornell.

He sighs.

"Again, NCIS Headquarters" Gibbs retorted, tapping his feet against the concrete floor of the interrogation room. Fornell nods.

"How about May 26th, 2005?" Fornell pokes Gibbs' mind.

He's playing with him.

"My basement" Gibbs hisses through gritted teeth. Fornell lifts his head.

"Anyone able to confirm?" Fornell asks. "Besides your boat, off course"

The figure behind the glass smirks in the dark.

Gibbs lets out a little chuckle escape his mouth. He nods, with the smile fading away from his face.

"I was on the phone with…uh…" Gibbs takes a moment to remember. "...With Franks"

Fornell looks at him expectantly.

"Franks who?" Fornell asks, studying Gibbs' pleasured face.

"Mike Franks" Gibbs replies. "Feel free to check my phone records"

"Oh, yeah, I'll do that" Fornell says reassuringly. "So, you were on the phone with him. All night?"

Gibbs sighs with frustration.

"I don't know. Maybe. I can't remember something that was two years ago" Gibbs responds unpaitently, staring at Fornell.

Fornell nods.

"Huh. Let's take you back a little further. We'll see if you can remember" Fornell says, taking out a stack of paper. He lets it fall on the table with a loud bang. The sound echoes through the entire room.

Gibbs doesn't even flinch a bit.

_**09:21 AM, somewhere in Detroit, Michigan**_

Emily was already finishing up the last pieces of her scrambled eggs. The only sound that was heard was the clinking of her fork and her knife.

Kate, on the other hand, wasn't eating at all. She glared at the plate filled with food, letting it cool in front of her.

Sergei observed her. It irritated him.

_Why wasn't she eating at all?_

He subconsciously clenched his fists watching her. His knuckles turned two shades lighter from the pressure.

Sergei approached the dining table. Emily glanced at Kate quickly to check if everything's alright.

Sergei drew a chair closer to the table and sat down. He dropped his rather muscular arms on the table, keeping his gaze on Kate.

Kate felt his eyes burn into her skin.

But she chose to ignore it.

She kept her eyes down, focused on that poorly made omelet, which was already cold now.

Sergei sighed audibly. Emily carefully eyed Sergei, and then Kate. She wished that she could kick Kate with her foot under the table, but it was too much of a risk. Sergei would notice. _And react._

"Why aren't you eating?" He asked grimly, with a deadly look upon his face. Kate sat there, not saying a word. In silence, staring at nothing.

Sergei lost his patience after two minutes passed.

"Is it not delicious? Is it not interesting enough for you?" He continued to spill his words, with a slight raise of his voice. "Or maybe you don't like eggs?"

For a piece of a second, Kate glanced at Sergei with a corner of her eye. Sergei parted from the table for a second. He took his black, square framed glasses off.

Kate exhaled a sigh, mixed with relief and anxiety.

In a matter of seconds Sergei's fists banged loudly against the round glass table, leaving little cracks on the surface.

Kate's breath hitched. She violently jerked as those two fists attacked the glass surface. A sharp gasp flew out of her mouth as the adrenaline took over her mind.

"You're supposed to eat when you're served! To eat what you're served!" He hollered in her face. His furious voice echoed through the entire house.

Panting, he waited for a response. His eyeballs looked as if they were gonna pop out of his head.

Kate swallowed a giant lump that previously formed in her throat. Her heart was still thumping loudly and rashly behind her rib cage._ Is it just me, or is it gonna explode? _

"I don't know if it's poisoned" She whispered somewhat harshly. Sergei faked a chuckle. He put his glasses back on.

Emily stared at Kate. She was right. Emily looked at her empty plate, wondering if she had just been poisoned.

Sergei brought his face closer to Kate. Merely inches away. The coolness of his breath splashed across her face.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago, sweetie" His raspy whisper haunted her, the words echoing through her mind.

She watched as he smiled deviously at her once again, before walking back to the sink.

_**09:27 AM, NCIS Headquarters, Navy Yard, Washington D.C.**_

Gibbs knew that Fornell was pushing him.

He was pushing him to the edge.

One more push, and he would push him off the edge.

And Gibbs would fall into the vicious claws of weakness. And Fornell would watch.

He would watch with pleasure.

And a smirk on his face.

After minutes of deadly silence passed, Fornell took one of the many papers. He gripped the paper as he read its contents carefully.

He exhaled heavily through his nostrils.

"I'm waiting" Gibbs vindictively said. To Gibbs, the word 'patience' did not exist anymore.

Fornell rolled his eyes. He looked up at Gibbs.

Gibbs spotted something strange. Fornell was quiet. Maybe this was it?

Fornell cleared his throat. He glanced at the paper back again, then at Gibbs.

The need to know what was written on that paper was growing stronger inside of Gibbs, as Fornell continued to stare at him silently.

"What?" Gibbs nearly yelled. Fornell sighed.

It was time. The figure pressed one of the switches off.

The lights fluttered in the interrogation room. The light above Gibbs' head went out, while Fornell was the one being illuminated.

_Who's in the spotlight now?_

Gibbs' face was covered in darkness.

He looked at Fornell with a questioning look on his face.

Fornell put the paper down. He looked at Gibbs one more time before starting to speak.

"February 28th, 1991" Fornell spoke in a low tone. He watched Gibbs' face morph into a shocked expression.

Gibbs' fists clenched under the table. His breathing picked its pace up. His jaw tightened, while his teeth involuntarily grinded.

"You were serving in the Marine Corps back then, remember?" Fornell picked and poked. "Operation…Eh…What was it called again?"

"Operation Desert Storm" Gibbs sharply filled his sentence, glaring at him.

"Desert Storm, that's right. Yeah" Fornell murmured, nodding to himself. "So, you were there, finishing up your mission, when all of sudden, your commander call you in his office, says your wife and kid died in a car accident. And how do you feel?"

Gibbs' eyes lowered to the table as Fornell spoke. His words faded away into the pure darkness of the room. They were only muffled sounds. It's background noise, playing over and over, like a broken record.

He felt trapped in his own mind_. His own skin_. He wanted to break free. He couldn't.

His brain was blocked.

No escape from the prison. You can't escape the prison, if you're the prison yourself.

His flesh and his bones capturing his spirit. Holding it down with the greatest forces in this world. His own being was gripping him tightly, warning him to conceal his feelings.

Keep the monster inside. Don't let it out.

Keep the monster trapped in the cage.

He wasn't feeling as empowered as before. That feeling was blown off by a few words.

Weakness exchanged roles with his normal self.

They found it.

They found his weak spot.

A flaw inside.

A glitch in the system.

_They want to break you. _

_They're using you against yourself._

The voices in his head were whispering.

His head ached from all the thinking.

Fornell observed the reaction. Gibbs' face was blank. Fornell knew what was going on inside of him. The pain. The internal fight.

Gibbs tried to inhale deeply. To brush the thoughts away.

But his regular breathing pattern was now corrupted. It's been put to test.

As he tried again, his throat clenched. No air came through his nostrils.

As he tried harder and faster, the weaker he felt.

The feeling of suffocating came. Was it just his mind?

Fornell observed. He had to ask.

"Jethro, are you okay?" Fornell asked sincerely, sounding concerned for the first time since the beginning of the interrogation.

Just when he thought it was over, he felt the air return to his lungs.

He gasped, nodding.

He wanted to cry. Forever, if he could.

He wished the feeling could go away. The agony. The suffering.

But, how come? It was impossible.

The wounds will never heal.

He'll never be able to forget the pain.

His wife…

…His daughter…

…Seeing them dead.

Both…both of them.

Dead.

_Two puddles of blood under their precious bodies. Blood splattered all over their necks, faces, and their clothes._

The memory flashed in his mind.

_Kelly was wearing a pink 'Hello Kitty' t-shirt that day. She loved that shirt. It was her favorite._

"It was her favorite…" Gibbs whispered weakly to himself, with an empty look in his eyes.

_When he was shown the photos from the crime scene, it was stained with dried blood. _

_Shannon had her eyes wide open. A dried trickle of blood was reaching all the way down her neck. _

Fornell watched Gibbs patiently, with worry wandering across his mind.

Gibbs looked up at Fornell, with a helpless look stuck to his face.

"What happened?" He questioned confusedly, taking in his surroundings again.

Fornell sighed.

The figure turned the switch on again.

"You may have had some sort of an attack, presumably panic attack. Depends" Fornell explained to the conflicted Gibbs. "I think it's enough. You'll be tested on a polygraph later. If it turns out you're telling the truth and you're not responsible for the fake deaths of two federal agents, you'll be free to go. But for now, you're still under investigation. You'll be accompanied back to the evidence room by Special Agent Hotchner. Understood?"

"Crystal clear" Gibbs retorted. Fornell nodded. He got up and headed to the door.

Fornell grabbed the knob. He turned to Gibbs.

"I'm sorry, Jethro" Fornell whispered sympathetically. He turned back to the door and left, leaving them to close by themselves with a bang.

* * *

**Have I made Fornell look like the devil? Sorry about that, but he was indeed kinda devilish in Internal Affairs(Yeah, this interrogation thing is totally inspired by that episode). Though, I did change it up a LOT. Did you cry when Gibbs had a mental breakdown? I mean, even I cried a bit. Twice. Oh, well. If you listen to Skies Within, all three parts by Mattia Cupelli while reading that scene, tears will come streaming like a river. No, really, that's the appropriate soundtrack for that scene. I want people listening to that while reading the scene. LISTEN TO THE SONG.**

**I hope Gibbs wasn't OOC, or Fornell. If you watched Internal Affairs, you're probably pretty much aware who's the mysterious figure behind the glass. If you didn't, too bad for you. Muahahaha.**

**And the first part of the interrogation scene was written Present tense. This was on purpose. I just thought it was more dramatic that way. Anyways, I'm sorry that you had to wait so much for this chapter. Please leave a review. **

**It would be nice.**


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